Watch: Bike theft syndicate dealt a massive blow with three arrests
Three members of a motorcycle theft syndicate, that terrorised bike owners from the East Rand to Middelburg, have been arrested in a weekend crackdown by a task team headed by Legendary Guardians Exclusive Protection.
One arrest was made on Friday when Legendary Guardians, alongside members of the Middelburg K9 Unit and Advantaged Aerial, discovered a chop shop in Avalon where three motorcycles stolen in Blesbok Street earlier the same day, were being stripped for parts.
Legendary Guardians owner, Mr Clinton Festraets, says they’ve been tracking the syndicate for almost two full years without a breakthrough.
“Every time we spotted the syndicate’s vehicles, they had valid excuses for being in the areas, despite us finding bolt cutters and other equipment used in break-ins on them,” Mr Festraets says.
On Thursday last week, he received a call from a Middelburg resident who’s been following their investigation closely on social media, informing him that one of the syndicate’s vehicles was spotted in town.
After learning of the three motorcycle thefts in Kanonkop, Mr Festraets’ team joined the local K9 Unit and Advantaged Aerial on a stakeout of the area where a drone spotted a trailer outside a shack in Avalon.
Upon closer inspection, a single suspect was found in the shack with all three motorcycles stolen earlier that day.
The white bakkie, often used in a string of motorcycle thefts, could, however, not be found
On Saturday, Legendary Guardians were called again with the news that the bakkie had been spotted on the N11.
The team travelled to Middelburg again, where they spotted the bakkie travelling towards Avalon with a bike on the back on Sunday, following overnight patrols.
The bakkie was spotted early on Sunday and followed to Avalon where the Legendary Guardians team were again supported by the local K9 Unit to effect the arrests.
The two men were arrested after the motorcycle was traced back to the owner residing on a farm on the Loskop Dam road.
Apart from the motorcycles and parts, five cell phones, a trailer and a range of equipment used during burglaries were confiscated.
“I have to commend the K9 members,” Mr Festraets said, adding, “We don’t see that calibre of policing in our area, Middelburg residents are very lucky to have such amazing, dedicated officers behind them.”
Legendary Guardians is busy preparing to present the K9 members with honorary awards “for outstanding service, they’re absolutely amazing”.
The NPA has not responded to requests for information on the suspects who should have made their first court appearance either on Monday or today.
“We struck the syndicate hard but the investigation is ongoing,” Mr Festraets concluded.
• Video and photographs provided by Legendary Guardians.
