Family innocently drives car in Standerton that was flagged as stolen

A family driving through Standerton on their way back to their home in Johannesburg on January 7 was thrust into the spotlight.

Kasselman Security members had earlier received notification of a stolen vehicle from Sandton moving towards Standerton.

The members stopped the car shortly after it entered town and took it to the Standerton Police Station. There, officers discovered it had previously been stolen and recovered, yet still showed up on the system as stolen.

Though the family could prove the vehicle did belong to them, the SAPS booked it to remain at the station. Kasselman Security and the Standerton SAPS helped the family find alternative transport to their home.

How could you avoid this inconvenience?
According to Captain Braam Robberts, the spokesperson for the Standerton SAPS, a report is circulated nationwide when a vehicle is reported as stolen.

If recovered, the Department of Vehicular Crimes (DVC) must cancel the circulation, and the municipality must remove the ‘S’ mark.

After this, a clerk must return the vehicle to the owner, confirm the cancellation and file the report slip in the vehicle’s file.

“Ensuring this process is correctly followed through remains the owner’s responsibility,” added Robberts.

He explained that if a vehicle is found to be stolen and the owner cannot produce proof of ownership, the SAPS would arrest them after the necessary investigations.

The vehicle would be held at the Standerton Police Station until the DVC had inspected it and authorised the SAPS to dispose of it. Always ensure that previously stolen vehicles were taken out of circulation and that alert systems will not detect them.

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