Three suspects, aged 39, 41, and 46, are set to appear before the Welkom Magistrate’s Court soon on a charge of possession of explosives, in contravention of Section 6(1) of the Explosives Act 26 of 1956.
The arrests took place on Monday afternoon, 18 May 2026, when members of the Welkom Anti-Gang Unit were on duty in the Lejweleputswa District. Acting on information received from Thabong Crime Intelligence, the officers learned that three suspects—two males and one female—were allegedly walking on foot along Virginia Road heading toward the Virginia CBD.
According to the information, the suspects intended to sell the explosives to a buyer who planned to use them in bombing a cash vehicle.
The intelligence was operationalised, and officers intercepted the trio near the Quest filling station in Virginia. The information proved positive, as the suspects were found with a bag containing explosives. When questioned, none of the three accepted responsibility for the items; instead, they began pointing fingers at one another. All were subsequently arrested.
The Explosives Unit and Local Criminal Record Centre experts were summoned to the scene, and all explosives were seized. Recovered items included:
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12 green shock tube assemblies
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5 white blasting cartridges
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15 yellow detonators
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1 Vivo cellphone
The investigation continues.