The Independent Police Investigative Directorate arrested suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi on Friday at a residence in Bedfordview.

The arrest marks a significant escalation in a probe into high-level police corruption and the alleged misappropriation of seized assets within the Gauteng province.

Mkhwanazi was taken into custody on July 17, 2026, in connection with the theft of precious stones [1], [2]. Investigators said the stones were stolen during a 2023 raid at a house in Killarney [3], [5]. According to the dossier, suspects are accused of seizing the stones, and failing to register them as official exhibits [3], [5].

The value of the stolen precious stones is reported as R14.9 million [2], though other reports round this figure to R15 million [4]. This arrest represents the fifth and final suspect apprehended in the case [5].

This legal action follows a period of suspension for the deputy chief. While the current arrest focuses on the 2023 theft, Mkhwanazi has faced previous legal proceedings; he was granted bail of R50,000 in a separate matter earlier this month [6].

The IPID continues to investigate the chain of custody regarding the Killarney seizure. The agency is tasked with overseeing police conduct and ensuring that evidence recovered during raids is properly documented, and stored in accordance with South African law.

“Julius Mkhwanazi is the fifth and final suspect arrested in the case.”

The arrest of a high-ranking official like the EMPD Deputy Chief suggests a systemic failure in the oversight of evidence handling. By apprehending the final suspect in the 2023 Killarney case, IPID is attempting to close a loop on a multi-million rand theft that highlights the vulnerability of the police exhibit system to internal corruption.