Cops have lead on car crime syndicate
In their vigilant attempt to combat the scourge of vehicle hijacking in Kathorus’s townships, the SAPS’s Ekurhuleni West Cluster Task Team arrested a 23-year-old woman in Katlehong, in the early hours of last Sunday morning, June 18, for being in possession of two hijacked vehicles.
Speaking to Kathorus MAIL about the incident, Capt Mega Ndobe of the Katlehong SAPS described how, during patrols, an anti-crime task team came across a VW Golf 7 sedan parked at a house in Moleleki Section, Extension Two. While the task team was busy investigating and attempting to find the owner, a black Dodge SUV approached.
But when the driver of the Dodge SUV noticed the police next to the Golf 7, he immediately jumped out of the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
The police managed to apprehend his female companion.
When she was questioned by the police, it emerged that the silver Golf 7 had been reported hijacked in Alberton, while the black Dodge was hijacked in Booysens earlier in the month.
The woman was later detained at the Ramokonopi precinct police cells and made her first court appearance on Tuesday at the Palm Ridge Court.
The case was postponed to a further date pending further investigation.
He acknowledged the possible involvement of a car crime syndicate or syndicates in Sunday’s bust of the 23-year-old woman, given the high value of the cars (around R200 000), but nothing conclusive has come to light yet.
Ndobe warned the community that car-jacking is not a random crime.
He blamed what he termed “habits that most people practise every day”.
“Many people tend to make it a habit of parking close to the gate on the pavement outside in the street or even inside the yard with the gates unlocked and just sit in the car and chat, believing they are safe.”
Ndobe said this is how the majority of hijackings occur.
“Criminals always monitor the situation and plan for the right time to attack,” explained Ndobe.
He said while some vehicle crimes are committed by syndicates, many are often as a result of disputes between couples.
“Some incidents of hijacking or car theft are as a result of fights and rivalry between warring spouses,” he said. Some couples buy vehicles or a home as a token of love and appreciation of their partners while everything is still nice and rosy. But once the love turns sours, it manifests itself in criminal acts. He referred to such crimes as “passion hijackings”.
“A couple falls out of love and the one party feels unfairly treated in the relationship and decides to arrange for his/her vehicle to be ‘stolen’ or ‘hijacked’.”
In most cases like these, Ndobe said, the vehicles are often burnt out. “It is always the ultimate form of revenge for a wronged heart.”
