Tinus Van Lingan, a 61-year-old Pretoria resident, was the victim of a meticulously planned abduction and murder by individuals masquerading as SAPS officers.
How Tinus van Lingan was kidnapped and murdered by SAPS posers
The Disappearance of Tinus Van Lingan
In a statement, police confirmed Tnus Van Lingan’s last contact with his family was at approximately 13:50, on Monday, 12 February 2024, moments before he ventured out to a meeting in Olifantsfontein, Johannesburg.
Alarm bells rang off when Van Lingan failed to return that day without so much as a message to his family, something that was out of character.
When Tuesday came around with no word from the 61-year-old, his family filed a missing person report, and much to the police’s credit, a team of officers was immediately deployed to investigate the case.
A Grim Discovery and Breakthrough
While it’s unclear what evidence or breadcrumbs police had at their disposal going into the case, it did not take long for a breakthrough in the search for Van Lingan.
The missing person investigation quickly escalated when Van Lingan’s body was discovered in the Klipspruit area, south of Johannesburg.
Police have been careful to not reveal the evidence collected at the crime scene. However, we’re told a collection of evidence pieces and intelligence led to the arrest of an unnamed 36-year-old man.
The clues pieced together by detectives painted a chilling picture of the final moments of Van Lingan’s life, confirming that he had been fatally shot.
The suspect, police revealed, wasted no time admitting to his involvement in the case and implicating a second man.
The trail of evidence and intelligence led to a residence in Tembisa, where the second suspect was apprehended in a dramatic raid.
The search of the premises yielded a cache of items impersonating SAPS paraphernalia, including three police reflective jackets, a police cap, and crucially, a firearm with a magazine and live ammunition.
This firearm, suspected to be the murder weapon, alongside two vehicles—a blue Ford EcoSport and a white Ford Figo—were seized, and will form part of a rock-solid case for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The suspects will make their first count appearance soon.