THE actions of two quick-thinking police officers resulted in the recovery of two stolen vehicles and the arrest of two car thieves on Monday this week.
Police spokesman Captain Vincent Pandarum said the owner of a white Toyota Corolla had parked it in the Oribi Plaza parking lot that morning, and gone off to work. He later discovered his car was missing.
Meanwhile, the owner of a blue Toyota RunX parked her car in Reynolds Street, Port Shepstone, and when she returned at 3pm she found her car missing.
Both vehicles were reported stolen at the Port Shepstone police station.
‘Highway Patrol’ officers, who were on their first day on the job, recovered the RunX while conducting patrols on the highway between Port Shepstone and Scottburgh, and between Port Shepstone and Port Edward.
“Sergeant Melvin Newell and Constables Siya Mbhele and Mthembeni Ndlovu of the ‘Highway Patrol’ were monitoring traffic in the vicinity of the Umtentweni on-ramp when they saw a RunX fitting the description of the one reported stolen,” said Capt Pandarum.
He said the vehicle was heading north and they gave chase and stopped the car further up the highway.
They established that it was indeed the same stolen RunX, and members arrested a 34-year-old man and impounded the car.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Stanley Holloway of the Port Shepstone K9 Unit was in the Hibberdene area when he heard news of the stolen Corolla being circulated.
He was travelling south on the toll road when he saw the Corolla.
“He promptly made a U-turn and gave chase, intercepting the vehicle near the Hibberdene off-ramp,” he said. A 30-year-old man was arrested and the vehicle impounded.
Capt Pandarum said the dashboard and electrical systems of both vehicles had been tampered with.
