A STATION commissioner from the Ga-Rankuwa police station asked God to lead them in the search for the missing local crime-buster Detective Inspector Andrew Bachipile Rapeta, pictured, who disappeared three weeks ago.

Rapeta, from Lebanon in Mabopane disappeared on the way home from the Ga-Rankuwa police station on July 2 this year. He has served in the Ga-Rankuwa detectives branch for 28 years.

He was last seen by colleagues when he left work to go home on Thursday.

Director Eunice Makgwane was highly emotional and wept in front of the estimated 200 police officials, members of different religious organisations and Rapeta's wife, Sarah, as she called on God to lead the police in their search for the brave detective.

She was speaking at yesterday's prayer service at the Zone 5 police station.

Makgwane said that after his Nissan Almera was found in Zone 15, they had search the open veld in Ga-Rankuwa and had followed leads to Mpumalanga and Limpopo, without success.

Makgwane told those present that they were waiting for a report from a detective who could not attend the service "because he is following very sensitive information".

Ga-Rankuwa police spokesperson Inspector Matthew Nkoadi said the search would continue until they found Rapeta.