PIGG’S PEAK – A 36-year-old man of Luhlangotsini was arrested for allegedly impersonating a police officer.
The man was arrested during a dagga raid at one of the homesteads.
The suspect was arrested by the Pigg’s Peak police and is accused of contravening the Arms and Ammunition Act after he was allegedly found in possession of a 9 mm pistol and nine rounds of live ammunition.
According to the official Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) statement, preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect and unidentified accomplices allegedly posed as police officers before raiding a homestead, where they took bags of dagga without authorisation.
The group reportedly loaded the dagga into a Honda Fit, a motor vehicle belonging to the suspect and fled the scene.
Meanwhile, the family is said to have raised the alarm, prompting community members to block the road in an attempt to stop the perpetrators from escaping.
When they encountered the roadblock, the suspects allegedly took another route towards Ndzingeni.
Their escape was reportedly disrupted when the vehicle encountered a mechanical malfunction due to a control arm breaking.
The suspect allegedly contacted another driver to collect the consignment while he remained behind to safeguard the vehicle as he waited for a mechanic.
Meanwhile, community members alerted police officers who were investigating another case in the area.
When the suspect and the mechanic saw the crowd approaching they fled.
The suspect reportedly fired gunshots in an attempt to scare away the crowd, but the community members continued to pursue them.
The suspect was reportedly apprehended and taken into police custody.
At the time of compiling this report, the police had not identified the alleged accomplices, and further details regarding their whereabouts were not provided in the statement.
The suspect was expected to answer to the charge relating to the Arms and Ammunitions Act at the Pigg’s Peak Magistrate Court as well as allegations surrounding the impersonation of police officers and the removal of dagga.
