A 35-year-old alleged kingpin has been nabbed for his involvement behind the damaging of Transnet’s key infrastructure to steal fuel worth more than R100-million.

The Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation team in the Free State made the arrest.

It follows further investigations into the arrest of two other suspects on Saturday for stealing and tampering with the Transnet’s national pipeline in Vrede.

Hawks spokesperson Lietenant-Colonel Philani Nkwalase says 8.5 million litres of petrol valued at R102-million had been stolen since 2021.

The alleged kingpin is set to appear in the Witbank Magistrate’s Court on tomorrow.