Criminals use drains to escape
Criminals are able to move from one place to another in storm water drains in the city centre, and this makes it difficult for police to catch them.
The mystery of how criminals terrorising the public along the notorious Nelson Mandela Drive are eluding capture, has been solved.
Rekord has established that they sneak into the stormwater system on Nelson Mandela Drive and Francis Baard streets after robbing their victims. The crimes committed in the area include theft from motorcars as well as rape and murder. One of those killed in the area include a Tshwane University of Technology student.
Until now, the police and the City Improvement District (CID) have been scratching their heads trying to establish how the criminals simply vanish into thin air under bridges along Nelson Mandela Drive.
All along, the criminals have been dashing into the nearby stormwater drain tunnel on the corner of Nelson Mandela and Francis Baard to walk a considerable distance inside the dark tunnel that stretches to the corner of Du Toit and Francis Baard streets.
The heavy slab covering the exit has been moved aside, and the tunnel is large enough for someone of average height to walk through.
Nelson Mandela Drive is the boundary between areas served by Sunnyside and Central police stations.
The criminals are clearly undeterred by the heavy stench and filth, including human waste, at the mouth of the tunnel.
A self-confessed drug addict found washing car windows near the mouth of the tunnel, said he had seen smash-and-grab suspects escape into the tunnel almost daily for years. “Once they get inside the tunnel, police never find them,” he said, refusing to give his name. He however willingly pointed out the escape route.
Crime has become a major problem along Nelson Mandela Drive for years. In response, police have now stationed a mobile trailer in the area and increased visible patroling. However, acts of crime continue unabated.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Asnath Malatsi said police intended stepping up patrols in the area.
CID security manager Templeton Ngonyama said the information unearthed by Rekord was valuable, saying it would be used to find a new strategy to counter the criminal activity along Nelson Mandela Drive.
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Also read: Police up their game along Nelson Mandela Drive
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