[Yes, the criminals arrived in Government vehicles! You can see all the photos at this link: https://www.citizen.co.za/news/25-arrested-sabotage-theft-fraud-eskom/  Jan]

PICS: Armed robbers arrived in cars marked Department of Labour, UIF, not knowing cops were waiting

At least 10 men were arrested after they arrived at Golden Fry Factory in Eikenhof to rob the cooking oil manufacturer. Picture: JMPD

Published 7h ago

Pretoria – At least 10 men,travelling in vehicles branded with Department of Labour insignia have been arrested after they attempted to rob the Golden Fry Factory which produces cooking oil in Eikenhof, south of Joburg.

Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) spokesperson Xolani Fihla said four of the arrested suspects were South African citizens, while six were Zimbabwean nationals.

He said the JMPD’s undercover reaction unit arrested the10 in an operation in conjunction with the SAPS crime intelligence unit.

The 10 have been charged for attempted murder, conspiracy to commit a business robbery, impersonating Department of Labour officials, fraud and possession of illegal firearms.

The Zimbabwean citizens have been additionally charged for contravening the Immigration Act.

“The officers had received information regarding a syndicate intending to commit a business robbery at Golden Fry Factory in Eikenhof, which produces cooking oil.

“According to reports received, the group would be travelling in four vehicles which consisted of two Volkswagen Polos, a white Ford Ranger and a white Toyota Quantum, and they would allegedly be armed,” said Fihla.

On Friday, the operational team proceeded to the factory where they strategically took their positions.

“While monitoring, the officers spotted two white Volkswagen Polos fitted with Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and Department of Labour branding on the doors. One of the Volkswagen Polos had a Gauteng provincial government numberplate affixed to it,” said Fihla.

The police officers also spotted a black BMW 1 series and a blue Toyota Corolla at the scene.

“The team noticed the vehicles approaching the factory as they kept watching. A shootout broke out as the officers strategically approached and intercepted the suspects,” said Fihla.

He said no one, between the police officers and the suspects, was injured during the shootout.

“Ten male suspects, including four South African and six Zimbabwean nationals, were arrested. The suspects were found to have four firearms with serial numbers filed off in their possession. Additionally, reflector jackets and cards from the Department of Labour were discovered on the suspects,” said Fihla.

The 10 suspects were detained at Mondeor SAPS on multiple charges, and Fihla said they were due to appear in court soon.

Eskom has been struggling to meet electricity demand because its old and poorly maintained power stations continually break down.

25 people arrested for sabotage, theft and fraud at Eskom

Government is doing all it can to tackle the scourge of crime at Eskom, acting government spokesperson Michael Currin says.

This comes after at least 25 people were arrested for sabotage, theft and fraud at the ailing state-owned entity.

Crime at Eskom

The nefarious activities against Eskom and the national grid prompted government to deploy soldiers at various power stations in order to protect vital infrastructure to keep the lights on.

South Africa has been battling persistent load shedding for a year with January 2022 the only month without deliberate power cuts.

The state-owned entity Eskom has been struggling to meet electricity demand because its old and poorly maintained power stations continually break down.

The National Energy Action plan is in “full swing” and security has got a full multidisciplinary team in place to deal with criminal activity at Eskom, acting government spokesperson Michael Currin said, speaking to The Citizen.

“We’ve been ramping up the efforts. Over the period of recent days, we’ve seen a significant number of arrests and we are actually quite confident that we are starting to get into the value chain of crime and corruption.”

Load shedding

Curren said sabotage, theft, fraud and corruption are part of many factors that have exacerbated the load shedding crisis.

“The president keeps saying that we are dealing with the perfect storm. He’s talking about a whole range of stuff that government and Eskom have to look at that contributes to the load shedding.”

“It would certainly be a significant contributing factor. You can’t say, for example, that if we stop this activity that load shedding will stop tomorrow. It’s all part of a larger mix and a mix that requires a comprehensive energy action plan,” said Currin.

Hope

Curren has urged South Africans to have hope in government’s plan to fix the country’s problems.

“The country has had a lot of problems over the decades and the way South Africans can solve problems is together.”

“I think we are going to see a turnaround and I do believe that one we crack this energy thing properly, I honestly feel we have a lot of opportunities we can look forward to. So, give South Africa, the home you love, the patriotic support that it needs,” Currin said.

Source: https://www.citizen.co.za/news/25-arrested-sabotage-theft-fraud-eskom/