Johannesburg – A convicted murderer who escaped from a maximum prison in Mozambique during the post-election violent protests in December last year has been arrested in Sandton, Johannesburg.
During the mayhem that followed Mozambique’s disputed elections Nelson Simiao Massango escaped along with more than a thousand other prisoners.
According to reports, Massango was convicted of murder in 2015 and sentenced to at least 20 years.
The SA Police Service (SAPS) Border Policing High-Density Team has been hard at work ensuring they track and trace those who may have entered South Africa.
SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe the Mozambican fugitive of justice was arrested at a car hire dealership in Sandton.
“Upon further investigation, he is being investigated and may be linked to several cases of theft of a motor vehicle in Gauteng where he would rent 4×4 bakkies, smuggle them over into Mozambique, and have them sold in that country,” said Brigadier Mathe.
“The International Criminal Police Organization’s (INTERPOL) National Central Bureau (NCB) in Pretoria is engaging INTERPOL NCB Maputo on the latest developments.”
The SAPS National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has commended the SAPS Border Policing High-Density Team for arresting escapee Massango.
General Masemola said the arrest of the fugitive should send a stern warning that “South Africa is not a hideout for criminals”.
Some of the wanted persons who escaped from Mozambican prisons appeared in the newspaper below:
