A third suspect in the R14.9‑million Killarney gem heist has been arrested after previously evading police.

The suspect handed herself over to police at the Edenvale police station on Monday after being on the run since the weekend, when police went to her house to arrest her.

Arrest

Independent Investigative Police Directorate (IPID) spokesperson Lizzy Suping said the suspect will make her first appearance before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 7 July.

“To date, three suspects have been arrested. The arrest of the remaining two suspects out of five is imminent.”

The sixth suspect died in October last year.

The suspect is expected to face multiple charges, including robbery with aggravating circumstances and fraud.

Bail

Her arrest comes as her two co-accused, suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) officer Adrian MacKenzie and private security firm owner Etienne van der Walt, were remanded in custody ahead of their formal bail application next Thursday.

The trio are part of a group of six people alleged to have robbed Pieter Prinsloo in Killarney of six boxes of high-grade sugilite and manganese stones, referred to as precious stones, valued at R14.9 million.

Precious stones

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) alleges that MacKenzie, Van der Walt and several others carried out an armed raid, where they threatened Prinsloo with assault, before taking the stones.

The state asserts that the suspects had no such authority, highlighting that the EMPD’s jurisdiction is limited to Ekurhuleni.

Witness K

The evidence came to light after a witness known as ‘Witness K’ testified at the Madlanga Commission about the details of the robbery and implicated suspended EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi as the orchestrator of the raid.

Last month, Mkhwanazi faced heavy criticism at the Madlanga commission as officials probed inconsistencies in his testimony – particularly his prior denial of knowing Witness K.

Romance

The commission heard earlier that Mkhwanazi and Witness K became romantically involved in late 2022.

According to her evidence, the relationship was marked by financial dependency.

She stated that once her savings were exhausted, Mkhwanazi allegedly urged her to keep her “ear to the ground” to find opportunities to make money.