Gang of notorious house robbers nabbed
Three wanted house robbers were recentlty nabbed by Lyttelton police.
The Lyttelton police have made a massive breakthrough against crime in Centurion.
One of the city’s most notorious housebreaking gangs has been arrested.
According to Lyttelton police spokesperson Warrant Officer Hero Gumbu, the arrest was made on Friday 5 June.
“At 11:45, while patrolling sector 2 (Lyttelton Manor), police officers received a call from the Sector 2 Community Policing Forum (CPF) about a suspicious vehicle in the area. While patrolling the sector, police officers spotted a suspicious white Toyota Conquest Carri panel van.”
When police tried to pull the vehicle over the occupants sped off, forcing police to give chase.
“Police continued to chase and managed to stop them on the corner of Langebrink Road and Kruger Avenue,” Gumbu said.
When police officers questioned them, they found two plasma TVs in the vehicle.
“The men claimed the TVs belonged to them, and they were taking them in for repair. When the officers searched the vehicle they found a kettle, a cellphone, make-up bag and a Fossil watch.”
According to Hannes du Buisson of Centurion Concerned Citizens (CCC), when CCC moderators heard that two TVs had been found they informed the police that a house in Heuweloord had been reported robbed on the Zello smartphone app, and that two TVs had been stolen.
“The police then phoned the owner of the house that had been burgled and he confirmed that two TVs, a kettle, a cellphone,a make-up bag, and Fossil watch had been stolen,” added Gumbu.
The police arrested the men. When they were charged at the station, police made a surprising discovery. All three men were wanted for a string of house robberies in the Lyttelton and Wierda Park areas. The leader of the gang in particular had been a wanted suspect for some time.
Gumbu said: “They are some of the most active and notorious house robbers in Centurion.”
The vehicle they used had been spotted on CCTV camera footage at several homes that had been burgled. “We could never find them because they kept changing the number plates of the vehicle,” said Gumbu.
He has now called on residents to become actively involved in the fight against crime. “If anyone has any footage or evidence of the robbers they must step forward and report it to the police, so we can build an even stronger case against these robbers.”
Gumbu said Lyttelton police is clamping down on crime. “The Lyttelton police have set up a special task team to combat crime in the area. They are doing well and have had successes. People must not hesitate to come forward if they see anything suspicious or know of any crime taking place in the area. Contact the police and we will respond.”
Du Buisson added that the quick actions of CCC moderators Leon Kruyshaar and Richard Botes were instrumental in connecting the stolen TVs to the suspects. “This shows that the more people join their CPF and CCC, and use Zello to report crime, the harder it becomes for criminals to escape.”
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