Five suspects are expected to appear in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court today, 19 August 2026, following their arrest for alleged theft of coal in Middelburg.
The suspects were arrested on Monday, 17 August 2026, following information received by the police regarding the alleged theft and illegal delivery of coal at a coal yard in Middelburg.
Members of the SAPS Organised Crime Investigation (OCI) responded to the information and proceeded to the identified coal yard.
According to the information received, security personnel contracted to monitor coal trucks loaded at a certain mine had followed a truck, with a Mpumalanga registration number, which was supposed to deliver coal to Belfast Coal. However, the truck allegedly proceeded to a certain mining company, where it offloaded the coal.
Another truck, with a Gauteng registration number, which was allegedly destined to deliver coal to another mine, was also found at the same premises, where it had allegedly offloaded coal.
Police conducted further investigations, during which management from the relevant security companies were contacted. The information was subsequently verified, leading to the arrest of the five suspects.
Two cases of theft were registered at Middelburg SAPS.
Police investigations into the matter are continuing.
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