- A marked police van was seen loading stolen washing powder after a truck crash near Modimolle in the early hours of 14 July.
- Two officers and a police cleaner have been arrested and will appear in court after goods were found at one suspect's home.
Three South African Police Service employees in Limpopo have been arrested after they were caught stealing washing powder from an overturned truck.
The two officers and a police station cleaner are based at Modimolle Police Station. They now face charges of theft and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
According to police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, a truck carrying pallets of washing powder veered off the R101 near Modimolle just after 4am on 14 July.
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As the driver tried to manage the scene, several vehicles stopped and people began looting the spilled goods.
A marked police van then arrived, but instead of helping, the officers allegedly joined the chaos.
"The driver pleaded with them to stop the looting, but they allegedly filled their van with washing powder and drove off, leaving him behind," said Ledwaba.
The driver took down key details and reported what happened.
A joint operation by the Limpopo anti-corruption unit led to a raid on 18 July. Some of the stolen items were found at the home of one of the police officers.
A third suspect, who works as a cleaner at the same police station, was also linked to the incident.
The suspects are between the ages of 49 and 55. They are expected to appear in the Modimolle Magistrate's Court on Monday.
Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe said she was disgusted by the arrests. "Criminal behaviour in SAPS ranks will not be tolerated," she said.
