High-speed chase in Cape Town leads to recovery of stolen vehicle

A high-speed chase led to metro police officers in Cape Town recovering a stolen vehicle this weekend.

The car was one of the six stolen vehicles reclaimed by the police in the past two weeks. The suspect apprehended was also among the 398 arrests made by the city’s enforcement agencies in the past week.

Dramatic car chase

The pursuit unfolded during a routine vehicle checkpoint in Grassy Park on Sunday morning, just before 10am. The driver of a suspicious vehicle refused to stop and instead accelerated away from officers. The chase ended on Victoria Road, where officers discovered the vehicle had been reported stolen in Delft.

The 35-year-old suspect was detained at the Grassy Park police station.

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Recovered vehicles and firearms

Over the weekend, metro police officers also seized a Toyota Avanza and Renault KWID, both previously hijacked in separate incidents. The KWID was found parked outside the metro police base in Philippi.

Additionally, a stolen motorbike in Eerste River was recovered following a tip-off. The officers also retrieved at least six firearms in the past two weeks, one of which was reported stolen in 1993.

Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, expressed concern over the surge in vehicle theft.

“Vehicle theft is unfortunately one of the many challenges that we face, but I also urge the public to please be cautious,” he said.

“What’s also of interest and concern is that at least one of the stolen vehicles linked back to a Johannesburg case, as well as a firearm recovered by our traffic officers,” he added.

Arrests, fines, and offences

During general enforcement efforts over the past week, the metro police department made 102 arrests, including 19 for driving under the influence. Officers issued 3 960 traffic and by-law fines.

Cape Town traffic officers recorded 64 550 offences in the past week, with 60 arrests (48 for drunk driving and 12 for reckless and negligent driving). They impounded 296 vehicles and executed 3 272 warrants of arrest.

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On Sunday, traffic officers also recovered a firearm during a vehicle checkpoint in Mitchells Plain. The firearm had been reported stolen in Katlehong in 2007. The checkpoint resulted in 31 arrests for driving under the influence, with the highest reading at 2.19mg/1000ml, nearly 10 times over the legal limit.