Ivory Park police and security personnel contracted to a well-known cellphone company arrested a 26-year-old man for alleged possession of 50 cellphone network tower batteries belonging to mobile communication companies on Thursday last week.
Capt Bernard Matimulane, Ivory Park SAPS communications officer, said one of the cellphone companies was able to immediately identify 24 of the batteries as theirs and said they were stolen from one of their towers in the Sandrigham policing precinct early on Thursday.
“Acting on information, the local police officers and the security personnel proceeded to an address in Kaalfontein, Midrand, where they found four men offloading the batteries from a double cab van. Upon seeing the police, the suspects fled the scene, but the police pursued and managed to arrest one of them,” said Matimulane.
Matimulane said that apart from the batteries, the police recovered a hijacked motor vehicle and confiscated a vehicle that was being used to transport the batteries.
“Preliminary information by the detectives revealed that the suspect is already out on R10 000 bail in connection with possession of the same kind of batteries,” said Matimulane.
Brig David Mbongeni Ngcobo, the station commander of the Ivory Park SAPS, welcomed this arrest and he said it sends a clear message that the residents of the Ivory Park policing precincts are tired of their area being used as a crime hub.
“By giving out the information, the members of the community did themselves and the business community a huge favour as both business and the community are equally affected by these criminal acts,” said Ngcobo.
The suspect has been charged with possession of stolen goods and is due to appear in the Tembisa Magistrate’s Court.
To report a crime, call 08600 10111 or SMS the Crime Line at 32211.
