Fight against vehicle crimes begins to bear fruit in Moot
The suspects, allegedly found in possession of car breaking equipment and using a rental vehicle to commit vehicle-related crimes, failed to evade arrest as the police cornered them.
The arrest of two suspects for possession of car breaking equipment last Thursday has been welcomed by the Pretoria Moot police management.
The two suspects, aged 31 and 22, were put behind bars for allegedly attempting to break into a parked vehicle on the corner of Steve Biko Road and Malan Street in Riviera, Pretoria Moot.
“Congratulations to the members for doing good work and showing commitment in combating vehicle-related crimes in the Moot,” station commander Colonel Hlengeni Mashaba said.
He sent a stern warning to motorists reporting false cases of theft out of motor vehicles in order to claim from the insurance companies for items which were not stolen that they would face charges.
“If it is found that you opened a false case, you will be charged with perjury,” he said.
Moot police spokesperson Captain Anton Breedt said the arrest of the two suspects showed that the police were working towards reducing vehicle-related crimes.
He said the arrest occurred after sector manager Warrant-Officer Lood Jonker saw two men standing next to a white Kia Picanto on the corner of Steve Biko Road and Malan Street.
He said when the suspects noticed a marked patrol police vehicle passing them, the two men began to act suspiciously, which encouraged the police to turn back and investigate.
“The suspects jumped into their vehicle and tried to escape.”
Their attempt to evade arrest however failed as the police, with backup, cornered them.
“The police stopped them with the assistance of other members.”
He said the police swiftly approached the suspects inside the vehicle. He added that the police found a passenger in possession of a screwdriver.
“The police also found the self-made T-star often used to open or break locks of vehicles by force, a remote control of an old air conditioner which is used to jam alarms, a pair of gloves and other tools used to open doors and start motor vehicles,” he said.
He added that the original vehicle registration plates were found hidden in the boot.
Upon returning to the place where the suspects had been parked, it was found that they had attempted to open a nearby vehicle, he said.
“The preliminary investigation shows that the two suspects are not new to this sort of crimes with records of arrests in Sunnyside and Brooklyn policing areas for similar crimes.”
The records reflected that the vehicle used by the suspects was a rental.
The police urged community members to be always vigilant and follow crime prevention hints to avoid becoming victims of vehicle-related crimes.
The police gave the following crime prevention tips:
– double-check manually that all doors including the boot are properly locked after locking the vehicle with a remote control.
– be careful when dropping children at school or day care as criminals use such moments to commit crimes.
– refrain from leaving valuables in your vehicle.
The police said the two suspects would soon appear before the Pretoria magistrate’s court on charges of possession of car breaking equipment and stolen property.
They called on residents to work with the police in the fight against crime by reporting any suspicious activities or persons to the police on 08600 10111 or by SMS to 33221.
ALSO READ: Joint operation arrests more than 340 in Sunnyside
Those reporting crime can choose to be anonymous.
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