Mount Road police crack the whip on housebreaking/theft suspects

GQEBERHA – Community participation in the fight against crime is of paramount importance in order to ensure that important information is shared with the community so that through our joint efforts, criminals are arrested.

During the Easter weekend (02 April 2021 to 05 April 2021), several cases of theft were reported at SAPS Mount Road whereby CCTV cameras were stolen. Mount Road Crime Prevention Unit members engaged with the community and second hand dealers in their area alerting them to the thefts. On Monday, 12 April 2021, the CPU Commander received a call from a business owner in North End inviting him to view a suspicious footage that he picked up on one of his cameras. On viewing the footage, a well-known criminal was identified. Since then, members were on the hunt for the suspect.

On Tuesday, 13 April 2020 at about 09:00, the 29-year-old suspect was spotted and arrested in Fredericks Street in Central. He has been positively linked to two cases of housebreaking at a car wash in Market Street in North End.

On further investigation, police searched a house in Richmond Hill where a variety of suspected stolen property was seized. The owner of the house, a 55-year-old male was detained on charges of possession of suspected stolen property and receiving stolen property.

The suspected stolen property included 10 CCTV cameras, 2 laptops, 4 printers, several speakers and sound equipment, a TV, stage lights, hard drives, a compressor, geyser as well as other household items. Some of the property has since been identified by complainants.

While police were still busy at the house, another suspect, aged 28-years-old was also arrested on the premises. He has been linked to two cases of housebreaking and two cases of theft committed at a laundromat in Cape Road between March and April 2021.

The arrested suspects are expected to appear in the Gqeberha magistrates’ court tomorrow, 15 April 2021 on their respective charges. More arrests are expected.

Mount Road detectives are appealing to businesses/residents within the metro who may have become victims of theft or housebreakings whereby the abovementioned items were taken, to contact D/W/O Karin Schekle on 084 507 2606 or SAPS Mount Road 041 394 6316 or Crime Stop 08600 10111 or their nearest police station.

Acting Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner, Brig Thandiswa Kupiso applauded the initiatives of the crime prevention members and the business owner who contacted the police when he noticed the suspicious male. ‘It is through actions such as this, that we can win the war against crime. We are committed to enhancing community involvement so that criminals are not given a chance to enrich their habits at the expense of hard working, law abiding citizens. Proactive participation in crime prevention initiatives such as this will definitely impact on crime reduction,’ added Brig Kupiso.

Source: South African Police Service

Recent Posts