Cigarette thieves – linked to uMdloti fuel station burglary – arrested
Two of the suspects arrested were allegedly employees at the fuel station.
THREE suspects allegedly linked to service station thefts were arrested last Thursday (October 17) by members of Marshall Security and the Phoenix SAPS Trio Crimes unit.
One of the suspects was spotted at a service station on Umhlanga Rocks Drive and later admitted he was assisted by employees of the uMdloti fuel station in the thefts.
Marshall Security spokesperson Tyron Powell explained that CCTV footage helped identify the suspects and the vehicle used.
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“We were alerted by staff from a fuel station in uMdloti regarding a business burglary that had occurred on October 12. The suspects had forced their way into the station by breaking the back door and stealing a large quantity of cigarettes before fleeing.
“After reviewing surveillance footage and following up on leads, the team identified both the suspects and the vehicle involved. Working in collaboration with Phoenix SAPS, Trio Crimes launched an operation where they intercepted a white Almera at a fuel station on Umhlanga Rocks Drive, where one of the suspects seen at the crime scene was apprehended,” he explained.
Powell added that during questioning, the suspect confessed to being the driver of the getaway vehicle and revealed that two of his accomplices were employees at the uMdloti fuel station.
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“Further investigation revealed that the stolen cigarettes had been sold to several local shops in Verulam. Some of the stolen goods were successfully recovered. The suspects, along with the recovered cigarettes and their vehicle, were taken to Durban North SAPS for further processing and investigation. It was also revealed that these same suspects had committed a similar burglary at the fuel station just one week prior.
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