In a significant breakthrough, a Mozambican fugitive, Nelson Simiao Massango, who escaped from Maputo’s maximum prison during a mass breakout in December 2024, has been rearrested in Sandton, Johannesburg. Massango, convicted of murder in 2015, was reportedly linked to several cases of motor vehicle theft in Gauteng.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) border policing high-density team has been working tirelessly to track and trace more suspects who may have entered South Africa. The SAPS is collaborating with INTERPOL and the Mozambican authorities to exchange vital intelligence and assess the situation.
This arrest comes after two Mozambican nationals, believed to be part of the same prison break, were arrested in Mpumalanga in January. The SAPS is working closely with various stakeholders to ensure that those who have escaped justice are brought back to face the law.
