News from Berea SAPS

Housebreaking suspects arrested

TWO housebreaking suspects were arrested initially on charges of suspected stolen goods in the early hours of last Thursday morning.

According to Captain TD Gumede, communications officer at Berea SAPS, Warrant Officer Faizel Sarkhot and Constable Byron Erasmus were patrolling along Berea Park when they noticed two suspicious men walking along the road carrying two large packets.

“When the officers approached the suspects, they dropped the packets and ran down the road. The two policemen gave chase and apprehended both suspects. They also recovered the two packets which contained clothing,” explained Gumede.

The suspects were arrested for suspected stolen goods however house breaking charges were later added when the suspects were linked to a reported house breaking on Berea Park Road.

“This was a good arrest and we commend our members. We always encourage members to be extra vigilant in the early hours of the morning with stop and searches which are most effective in crime prevention,” concluded Captain Gumede.

From frying pan into fire for convicted robber

A robber who made the headlines earlier this month after Berea police had to free him from an enclosure on DUT property before arresting him was convicted on charges of robbery with a knife and sentenced to ten years imprisonment this week.

According to Captain TD Gumede, communications officer at Berea SAPS, a youth was robbed by two knife wielding suspects who took the man's Blackberry cellphone and red Adidas boots. The youth later saw the suspect while driving with friends and they chased him. The suspect managed to scale a three metre high brick wall into the DUT campus where he landed in a large container of used cooking oil and sustained minor injuries,” added Gumede.

Gumede welcomed the “excellent” conviction which came a week after the successful arrest by Berea police's Captain Thomas Naidoo and Warrant officer JD Sibeko.

Berea SAPS commends crime fighting unit

BEREA police commends their crime fighting, Crime Prevention Unit under the leadership of Captain Kevin Stephan for an excellent arrest of a housebreaker last week.

Captain TD Gumede said, “The Crime Prevention Unit are matching criminals strength to strength. They already arrested the suspect with stolen goods and recovered all the power tools before the complainants could even come to report the crime. This is good work from our members in terms of solving crimes.”