State capture number one suspect Ajay Gupta has been hopping from one house to another‚ is being protected by heavily armed bodyguards and using burner phones to evade arrest.

Highly placed sources told Times Select that properties were searched in Kempton Park on Johannesburg’s East Rand and in Pretoria on Wednesday evening‚ but Ajay slipped through law enforcement officers’ fingers.

The Hawks officially named Ajay as a fugitive on Thursday‚ but his brothers Atul and Rajesh (Tony) are also on their radar. Hawks sources said they were ramping up their efforts to track the trio down.

“These guys are smart. They are using close protectors who are well armed. They are being advised by people with telecommunication knowledge and are being helped to stay off the radar. Several houses searched showed that they were here just before our raiding parties arrived‚” said a Hawks source.

For the full story on Ajay Gupta’s evasive tactics‚ visit Times Select