Eight alleged car thieves were stopped in their tracks in Chloorkop on Friday, thanks to Benoni Flying Squad.
W/O Grant Giblin, spokesperson for the flying squad, said members were following information that led to the arrest of the men on Bergrivier Road for alleged possession of a robbed motor vehicle.
“They were found on a premises suspected to be a chop shop and a blue Mitsubishi Pajero, taken in Ferndale earlier in the month during a house robbery, was recovered,” Giblin said.
“While on this scene, they received a call reporting a firearm lying on the P91. Upon responding, a 7.65mm Astra pistol with seven live rounds was found abandoned. It is not known if there are any links in the two cases,” he added.
According to Capt Lesibana Molokomme, spokesperson for Norkem Park SAPS, the Mitsubishi Pajero had already been fitted with different number plates.
The eight suspects, aged between 22 and 45, will appear in Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle.
It was also a bad weekend for other criminals as Norkem Park SAPS, with the help of other law enforcement agencies, locked away 20 suspected criminals. Five of these arrests were for the possession of dagga, two for shoplifting and one for driving under the influence of alcohol, to name a few.
Another suspect (23) was arrested for possessing 21 bottles of cough syrup. He could not prove that they belonged to him.
