By Lloyd Phillips
Investigators are reportedly astounded by the brazen nature of the massive theft of Selati sugar from a warehouse in Johannesburg on Friday morning.
RCL Foods, which produces South Africa’s famous Selati sugar brand, has confirmed what is being described as the “sugar heist of the century”.
Although RCL is still collecting further information and will issue its own statement about it in due course, the Alert South Africa Facebook page reports a group of suspects entered a warehouse in Johannesburg’s Isando area at around 08:31 on Friday morning.
According to reports, the suspects quickly overpowered and tied up the warehouse staff.
After that, the gang’s fleet of seven trucks with superlink tautline trailers arrived at the warehouse.
“Authorities have confirmed that all of the registration numbers on the trucks [and trailers] are false, further complicating the investigation,” the Facebook post said.
It is further reported that the criminals “loaded a staggering 247 pallets of Selati sugar onto the trucks between 08:31 and 12:14” before leaving the scene with their huge load.
The public has been asked to be on the lookout for these vehicles. The details of the vehicles were provided as follows:
- White Volvo (FC48CHGP) with white/dark blue trailers.
- White Scania R500 (DY99RMGP) with white/blue trailers; front trailer has a green rim on the right.
- White International 9800i (BM13XPGP) with blue trailers.
- White Volvo FH440 (FG64XXGP) with blue trailers.
- White Freightliner Argosy (125MJCGP) with blue trailers.
- White International 9800i (YMD124GP) with white/blue trailers.
- White UD Quon (HJ42ZDGP) with white/black (faded) trailers.
If you have any information on these vehicles or the whereabouts of the stolen goods, please contact Juan Burger from Danie Day Private Investigators on 083 778 8460.
* This is a developing story.
