Alex Matlala

Alex Matlala

A tip-off by members of the community led to the arrest of three Pakistanis for possession of suspected stolen goats yesterday.

Inspector Nong Tshehla of the Lebowakgomo police in Limpopo said they were informed in the middle of the night that there was a white bakkie ferrying goats.

"We saw a white bakkie travelling in the direction of Polokwane and stopped it. When we asked the occupants whose goats they were transporting, they gave incoherent answers.

"Two of them pretended not to speak English nor understand Sepedi. The other suspect said they bought the goats at Ga-Mphahlele near Lebowakgomo," said Tshehla yesterday.

Police drove with the suspects back to Ga-Mphahlele, but they were all unable to identify the house where they claimed to have bought the goats.

One of the suspects realised that they were in trouble and offered the police a R2000 bribe to set them free.

"The police refused the money and arrested them," he said. The suspects were identified as Imran Muhmmob, Ali Saleem and Khalid Mehmood.

They appeared in the Lebowakgomo magistrate's court on possession of suspected stolen stock. They were remanded in custody pending their bail application tomorrow.

Meanwhile, three people were arrested in Lenyenye near Tzaneen yesterday for allegedly being in possession of suspected stolen cattle. The men, whose names will only be made known once they had appeared in court, were found ferrying five cattle in a bakkie to Letsitele.

They would appear before the Naphuno magistrate's court on a charge of possession of suspected stolen cattle.