Three suspects aged 39, 41 and 46 are expected to appear in the Welkom Magistrate’s Court soon on charges of possession of explosives following their arrest in Virginia, Free State.
The suspects, two men and one woman, were arrested on Monday afternoon, 18 May 2026, after members of the Welkom Anti-Gang Unit acted on information received from Thabong Crime Intelligence.
Police said the suspects were allegedly walking along Virginia Road towards the Virginia CBD, where they were reportedly planning to sell the explosives to a buyer allegedly intending to use them in a cash-in-transit bombing.
The information was operationalised, and officers intercepted the trio near the Quest filling station in Virginia. During the search, police discovered explosives inside a bag carried by the suspects.
According to police, none of the suspects admitted ownership of the explosives, with each allegedly blaming the others. All three were subsequently arrested.
The suspects are facing charges under Section 6(1) of the Explosives Act 26 of 1956, which prohibits any person from keeping, storing or possessing unauthorised explosives.
The Explosives Unit and Local Criminal Record Centre experts were called to the scene, where the explosives were seized for further investigation.
Police confiscated:
12 green shock tube assemblies
Five white blasting cartridges
15 yellow detonators
One Vivo cellphone
Investigations are continuing.
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