TIRELESS police investigation and “crucial information” supplied by KwaNokuthula residents has led to the arrest of three suspects in the murders of Plettenberg Bay smallholders Willie and Julie le Roux.

Plettenberg Bay detectives arrested the three men at their hideout in Nekkies, Knysna, on Saturday afternoon – a week after the Le Roux couple were killed in their home near Kranshoek.

The detectives also recovered a number of items stolen from the Le Roux home – including a revolver thought to be the murder weapon, two laptop computers, a video camera and a cellphone – and arrested another two men for dealing in stolen property.

All three murder suspects, who are aged between 20 and 26, are from nearby KwaNokuthula and two of them had been employed by Willie le Roux in his building business.

They are expected to make a first appearance in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.

The arrests were carried out by Plett detectives Inspector John Nomdoe and Sergeant Theodore Windvogel, who were supported in their investigations by the organised crime and crime intelligence units.

The breakthrough followed a week of non-stop detective work by the police team assigned to the case after the murdered couple’s BMW car was found at a training college next to KwaNokuthula last Sunday.

The discovery led police to the murder scene the next day.

“Investigators followed up various leads and also received a tip-off from members of the community which led the investigation team to Nekkies in Knysna on Saturday afternoon, where they arrested the three suspects,” said Southern Cape police spokesman Captain Malcolm Pojie.

He added that the officers assigned to the case “pulled out all the stops” in tracking down the alleged killers. “The guys on the investigating team did not sleep. They carried on working until the arrests were made.”

The gun recovered would be sent for ballistic tests to determine if it was the murder weapon.

Pojie said initial reports that both victims had been shot in the head were found to be incorrect. “The preliminary autopsy result indicates that only Mrs Le Roux was killed due to a bullet wound to the head.”

Her husband was apparently beaten with a blunt object and died from multiple head injuries, Pojie said. Both were found with their hands bound.

The body of Julie le Roux, 50, was found on a bed in a room of the main house, while her 53-year- old husband was found some distance away in one of two chalets on their property.

Another two KwaNokuthula men, who apparently bought the couple’s stolen goods from the alleged killers, will also appear in court tomorrow on charges of dealing in stolen property.

The team of detectives was praised by Assistant Commissioner Allen Mondisa, commander of the Garden Route policing cluster, for their dedication and hard work in investigating the case which has shocked Plettenberg Bay.

Mondisa said the police would do anything in their power “to prevent these kinds of horrific deeds” and would “definitely oppose bail” for the suspects.

“The role of the community in curbing and investigating these crimes cannot be under-estimated as it often results in the arrests of suspects,” Mondisa said.

“We therefore acknowledge and praise them for their involvement in furnishing the (police) with crucial information.

“We shall by all means necessary try to keep the suspects behind bars in order for them to account for what they’ve done.”