A morning police swoop in Harare, Khayelitsha on Sunday yielded six arrests and the recovery of two stolen vehicles and a stash of other stolen items.
Acting on a tip-off about the whereabouts of an Isuzu LDV which had been stolen earlier in the day, members of the Western Cape Flying Squad spotted the bakkie parked at a shopping centre in Browns Farm next to a silver grey Polo Vivo that had five people sitting inside it.
Police spokesman Captain FC Van Wyk said: “While the members were monitoring the vehicle, they noticed one occupant busy moving items from the Isuzu LDV and putting them into the Polo Vivo.
“The police watched the goings-on and then set up a successful ambush of the suspects as they tried to leave the mall’s parking area in the Polo Vivo.
“When they pulled the Vivo off the road and began to search it and its passengers, they recovered a car battery, a Sony CD player and a spare-wheel releaser. When questioned about the items, the suspects informed the police that they took the items out of the stolen LDV,” said Captain Van Wyk.
He added that when police tested the Polo, they found that the number plates were linked to a vehicle that had been stolen in Pretoria West in December last year.
“When they tested the disc of the LDV it was discovered to have been stolen earlier in the day in Harare, Khayelitsha.
“All five suspects were arrested and detained for being in possession of a stolen vehicle and stolen property,” said Captain Van Wyk.
Meanwhile, he said, “The sixth suspect, a 28-year-old male, was also arrested in the morning for the theft of a motorcycle that had been stolen the night before while parked at a residence in Sagoloda Street in Browns Farm.”
Police also arrested an 18-year-old in connection with a hijacking incident, Captain Van Wyk added.
“On Tuesday evening, the police were busy with crime prevention duties when they responded to a radio broadcast of a vehicle that was hijacked in Crossroads.
“Following up on information on the location of the vehicle, they recovered the Toyota Etios in Nontsikelelo Street and arrested the 18-year-old suspect for possession of a hijacked vehicle.”
All the suspects are aged between 18 and 35 and due to appear in Athlone and Philippi magistrate’s courts once charged.