KZN cross-border hijacking & vehicle smuggling kingpin gets 55-year jail term
The Ingwavuma Regional Court found a cross-border vehicle smuggler who terrorized communities in northern KwaZulu-Natal guilty of numerous offenses, and sentenced him to 55-years in prison.
Vusi Amos Zulu Malwane, 44, was handed to six-year imprisonment terms for kidnapping; 30 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances (hijacking); and 15 years for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
“For more than a decade, Malwane led a syndicate that was behind a spate of motor vehicle hijackings in Emanguzi and surrounding areas,” said national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
Mathe said after hijacking the vehicles, Malwane would smuggle them into neighbouring Mozambique through various borders in the province.
Malwane escaped from custody in 2014. The court sentenced him to four years’ imprisonment for the escape. He was rearrested by the police’s Emanguzi cross-border operation task team deployed to clamp down on cross-border crimes including vehicle theft, on May 9.
Meanwhile, national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Fannie Masemola said the task team continued to register commendable progress with the arrest of 75 suspects since its deployment four months ago.
“Following our interventions and deployments to the area, 37 vehicles have since been recovered, as well as 27 illegal firearms and 321 rounds of ammunition seized,” said Masemola.
In a separate incident, five suspects were killed after in a gun battle with KZN police on Abbot Francis Road in Mariannhill on Thursday afternoon.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said one of the suspects was on the wanted list for a series of murders and other serious violent crimes.
“He was also linked to the Mariannhill scrapyards murder crime scenes where five people were shot and killed in two separate incidents in February this year,” Netshiunda said.
-IOL
In other news – Video: Cassper Nyovest hangs out with Nadia Nakai
Mzansi rappers Cassper Nyovestand Nadia Nakai’s video partying and sharing the stage at Pearl Thusi’s birthday is making headlines.
The video has gained thousands of reactions and comments since Pearl Thusi shared it on Instagram. The video making rounds let Mzansi sneak into Pearl Thusi’s last month’s birthday celebrations. Never doubt, Pearl Thusi’s birthday is still trending weeks later, thanks to the posts she has been sharing on social media. Learn More
