East man finally caught after one year hunt

A man who allegedly broke into the offices of a non-governmental organisation in Hatfield, east of Pretoria was finally traced and cuffed in Vosloorus on Tuesday, by Sunnyside police.

Police spokesperson Captain Daniel Mavimbela said the 35-year-old had been on the run since September last year.

The man had allegedly stolen more than 25 laptops, projectors and roller bags worth about R500 000.

“The suspect is expected to face a charge of business burglary in the Pretoria magistrate’s court within the next 24 hours,” Mavimbela said on Wednesday.

The arrest of the man follows a collaborative effort between the local police, forensic experts and other intelligence sources that were strategically deployed to hunt fugitives.

“Reports suggest that the NGO was broken into during the night of September 2018, after its employees had reported off from work, only to discover the following morning that their offices had been looted,” he said.

READ MORE: Lesotho Pastor shot dead in east robbery

Mavimbela said it was the “never-say-die attitude” and the determination of the police in Sunnyside to reduce property-related crimes that also led to the man’s arrest.

Tshwane district police commissioner Major-General Daniel Mthombeni praised the Sunnyside police for their continuous engagement with both internal and external stakeholders in their efforts towards uprooting criminality in the area.

“Our noble goal of ensuring that not only are our clients safe but also feel safe, can only be attained through a multi-disciplinary approach to policing,” Mthombeni said.

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