A convicted murderer who escaped from Mozambique's Maputo Maximum Prison during a mass breakout in December has been apprehended in Sandton, Johannesburg, South African police said.

Nelson Simiao was arrested at a car hire dealership, according to the police. He was one of over 1,500 prisoners who fled during unrest that followed Mozambique’s presidential elections.

The South African Police Service (SAPS), in a statement on Thursday, stated that Simiao had been serving a 20-year sentence for a 2015 murder.

"The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola, has commended the SAPS Border Policing High Density Team for arresting a convicted prisoner who escaped from the Maputo Maximum prison at a time when the country experienced unrest in December 2024," the SAPS statement said.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe revealed that Simiao is also suspected of involvement in multiple vehicle theft cases.

"The SAPS Border Policing High Density Team has been hard at work in ensuring they track and trace those that may have made their way into South Africa. The suspected fugitive of justice was arrested at a car hire dealership in Sandton," Mathe said.

the authorities said investigations have revealed that Simiao allegedly rented 4x4 bakkies in Gauteng, smuggled them into Mozambique, and sold them there.

SAPS, in a post on social media, said its border patrol team was working on ensuring they "track and trace those that may have made their way into South Africa.”