Five suspects, aged between 24 and 37, have been arrested in Barberton for tampering with essential railway infrastructure at Joe’s Luck, authorities confirmed.
The arrests were part of Operation Vala Umgodi, carried out in collaboration with the National Intervention Unit (NIU) and the Tactical Response Team (TRT).
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane says officers patrolling along the R38 Barberton–Sheba Siding Road spotted a taxi offloading men who immediately fled into nearby bushes.
“Police followed them into the bushes, where they discovered the men busy tampering with a railway line,” Ndubane said.
Among those arrested was a woman who was allegedly cooking meals and guarding the railway steel for the group.
Police also confiscated equipment believed to have been used in the sabotage, including digging bars, a hammer, heavy-duty truck wheel spanners, an alloy steel pipe, and 269 one-metre railway tracks.
“All relevant stakeholders were summoned to the scene, including Transnet officials, and the steel was handed back to the company,” Ndubane added.
In a related incident, two additional suspects were arrested along the Sheba Siding Road for contravening the Immigration Act and are expected to appear in court.
All five main suspects are scheduled to appear at the Barberton Magistrate’s Court on Monday, March 2, 2026.
The Acting Provincial Commissioner of SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, commended the operation.
“These arrests demonstrate our commitment to protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring that those involved in criminal activities end up behind bars,” he said.
IOL News
Get your news on the go. Download the latest IOL App for Android and IOS now
Wendy Dondolo
iol.co.za
