Police sergeant arrested in Refiloe Malope car boot kidnapping case

A sergeant stationed at Benoni police station in Gauteng and his alleged accomplice have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping Refiloe Malope in Limpopo.

Malope, 31, was allegedly taken by force by two suspects, seen shoving her into the boot of a Toyota sedan at Kgaphamadi village in the Hlogotlou policing area in Limpopo on May 9 at about 10am. 

The car sped off in the direction of Motsephiri, according to witnesses.

David Malope, her brother, previously told TimesLIVE that he was called by his other sister, Tshepiso, telling him that Refiloe had been attacked by people who had asked for help with their car.

“She was sitting in her van where she lives and the people asked to be jump-started. She said to them that she was also stuck and could not help them,” he said at the time. 

Two suspects were nabbed during a joint intelligence-driven operation conducted by the Limpopo tracking team, provincial organised crime unit and Hlogotlou detectives.

Provincial police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said the sergeant, aged 40, was arrested  at work on Tuesday and his accomplice was apprehended on Wednesday in the Apel policing precinct.

“The team is following up on the information that the suspects might have murdered the woman and dumped her body into a discontinued ventilation mine shaft in Benoni,” he said.

Benoni police search and rescue and the department of mineral resources & energy were asked to assist in efforts to locate the body.

“The operation will commence as soon as the necessary equipment to access the shaft is made available,” he said.

The suspects are expected to appear in the Nebo magistrate's court on Thursday, facing charges of kidnapping and obstructing the course of justice.

Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe hailed the team of investigators for cracking the kidnapping case.

TimesLIVE

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