Three men, aged between 23 and 25, are expected to appear at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court this week, after being arrested by Pretoria Central Police with a pellet gun and in possession of stolen property last week.
The arrest came on August 21 when what seemed a regular patrol for constables Mashaba and Maloka was interrupted. They came across a blue Picanto with three occupants at the corner of Steve Biko and Doctor Savage Roads around noon.
Station spokesperson, Sergeant Thabang Nkhumise, said that after police stopped the vehicle and searched it, the black pellet gun was found.
Nkhumise said that after the pellet gun was discovered, the constables were immediately suspicious.
“A call was sent out to circulate the vehicle. Results came back that it was used in the commission of a crime, with two reported cases in Brooklyn. Further inspection was conducted, and the registration plate did not match the vehicle in question. An arrest was made immediately, while backup was on its way,” Nkhumise said.
Police recovered multiple phones, including an iPhone 12 Pro Max with an estimated value of about R12 000 and a magazine loaded with one round of ammunition.
After the suspects were taken into custody at the police station, a woman came in and identified all three suspects as the assailants in her case.
The phone was booked in the exhibit office and the vehicle was taken to the impound for further processing to determine if it had been involved in other crimes.
Station Commander Brigadier Hlengani Gibin Mashaba commended the two officers for their swift reaction that led to the arrest of the suspects. He further called on the community to be more vigilant in the inner-city and avoid secluded areas by all means, so as not to fall victim to crime.
For whistleblowing, one can do so anonymously by dialling the Crime Stop line on 08600 10111 or 112 on personal phones and follow the prompts or use the MySAPS app, or call the station on 012 353 5001/17 or 079 880 0880.
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