Escaped convicted Maputo murderer arrested in Sandton
One of the more than 1 500 prisoners who escaped from the Maputo Maximum Prison on Christmas Day 2024, has been re-arrested in Sandton in Gauteng.
Nelson Simiao Massango was convicted of murder in 2015 and sentenced to at least 20 years in the maximum prison, but he managed to escape during the unrest in Mozambique against election results at the end of last year.
According to the South African Police Services (SAPS), Massango was detained at a car hire dealership in Sandton on Tuesday.
Further investigations suggest he may be linked to multiple motor vehicle thefts in Gauteng, where he allegedly rented 4x4 bakkies, smuggled them into Mozambique, and sold them.
“INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau (NCB) Pretoria is engaging INTERPOL NCB Maputo on the latest developments,” says SAPS spokesperson Athlenda Mathe.
National Commissioner of Police Fannie Masemola commended the SAPS Border Policing High Density Team for its efforts and stressed that South Africa will not tolerate criminals hiding within its borders.
“The SAPS Border Policing High Density Team has been hard at work in ensuring they track and trace those that may have made their way into South Africa,” added Mathe.
The Mozambican government has called for assistance from SADC countries in capturing the remaining fugitives, many of whom were serving sentences ranging from 17 to 25 years.
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