Alexandra Police Station Commander Brigadier Vusimuzi Ngubane has confirmed that police made at least 10 arrests between September 1 and September 6, spanning carjacking, robbery, and drug-related cases.

Ngubane confirmed seven carjacking cases and three murders in Alexandra within a single week. Two murder incidents occurred on 3rd Avenue between September 2 and September 3, with no suspects arrested yet.

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Police also arrested a suspect for common robbery on 4th Avenue following complaints about robberies in the area. Officers recorded eight cases of common assault and two cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm over the same period.

Unlike murder and carjacking cases, suspects in common assault cases are relatively easy to trace and arrest, Ngubane explained. “Where we are having a problem is with these murders and carjackings. Most of the time we do not have suspects,” he said.

He appealed to residents to help close that gap, adding that eyewitnesses can report information anonymously.

Young suspects target driver belongings

Ngubane said some suspects linked to recent carjackings are young people, confirming one suspect arrested was under 18 years old. Previous arrests in the area have also involved teenage suspects.

“The suspects who are involved in this carjacking are still young,” Ngubane said, adding that this was a growing concern.

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Contrary to suggestions that the young suspects may be working for a syndicate, Ngubane said those arrested have been forthcoming about their motives. “They tell us that sometimes they want the car, or they only want the belongings of the driver such as the cellphone, ring and cash,” he said. He added that in some cases suspects have kidnapped victims to solicit money from them.

He said all seven vehicles hijacked last week were recovered, noting that in most cases suspects were only after the drivers’ belongings rather than the vehicles themselves.

Drug bust targets higher-level dealers

Ngubane attributed a recent drug bust, in which seven suspects were arrested on drug-related charges, to a joint effort involving crime intelligence and the Tactical Response Team.

He had previously raised concern that police were mostly arresting low-level runners rather than the dealers running operations from the top. This time, crime intelligence efforts began targeting dealers higher up the supply chain.

“When we look at it, it is not the runners. Officers found them with a lot of drugs. The runners would usually have about two or three items, but these ones were selling in bulk,” he said.

Ngubane confirmed that police also recorded two cases of attempted murder during the period. Investigations continue in both cases.

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