Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing of two people who were stuck at the Putfontein off-ramp on the N12 east of Johannesburg after their car ran out of petrol in May 2019.

Capt Kay Makhubele said the victims were apparently waiting for help when they were attacked, robbed and brutally killed by unknown assailants and their vehicle slightly burnt.

He said the investigation team had been working tirelessly since the murders to bring the perpetrators to book. The arrest of the two suspects was the result of intelligence-driven information, he said.

“On June 18 2020 (Thursday) the police operationalised the intelligence information led by Provincial Organised Crime Unit: Serious and Violent Crime to Benoni where two suspects linked to the killing of the two people in Putfontein were arrested. During the arrest no firearms were recovered.”

Makhubele said the suspects would be profiled to establish if they were linked to other serious and violent crimes.

In another intelligence-driven operation, on Thursday, police followed up information on a wanted suspect known as “Muchifefe” and also as “Chivas” who was seen driving a red Polo in Soshanguve.

“The vehicle was observed and spotted driving into a yard of a house in Soshanguve block M where the police arrested the suspect,” Makhubele said.

“During the arrest, an R4 rifle, 149 plastic bags of crystal meth, live ammunitions of an AK47, 9mm magazines, a police hand radio and police uniforms were also recovered,” he added.

“Meanwhile in Midrand, police arrested a former police reservist following information received that he was using police stamps from his house. During the operation, police uniforms and live ammunition were also seized.”

The arrested suspects would appear in various magistrate’s courts in Gauteng, Makhubele said.

Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela commended the sterling work by Gauteng police and urged the community to continue to work with the police to fight crime by calling Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or by submitting tip-offs via the MySAPS app. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

-TimesLIVE