Two men who may be able to help the police investigation into the Bloemfontein arms heist have vanished.
Marius Lamprecht, a member of the South African National Defence Force, and Drikus Haasbroek, both from Bloemfontein, were last seen in a white Ford Escort at Witpoortjie. The car has since been found abandoned.
A cache of 117 weapons were stolen from the Tempe army base at Bloemfontein just over two weeks ago. Last week a truck carrying 200000 rounds of ammunition was hijacked and its drivers murdered. The bodies of the two corporals were pulled from the Modder Ruver near Bloemfontein bu police divers later last week.
Three men have already been arrested in connection with the thefts. Last week last staff sergeant Hendrik du Preez, 34, of 44 Parachute Brigade, and his brother Petrus, 32, appeared in court in balaclavas under heavy police guard. Marius Jan Swanepoel, 42, was arrested on Saturday, and charged with murder, armed robbery, theft and housebreaking. In the course of the arrests, many of stolen weapons including mortars and machine guns, were recovered according to an army spokesman.
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