Police in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro are squeezing the space of criminals and leaving no chance of them escaping from their devious acts. Five suspects were caught in the act in separate incidents across the metro for business robbery and housebreaking incidents.
In the first incident, on 11 January 2021 at about 07:20, a security company was alerted to movement at a school in Newton Park. On arrival they discovered an office window broken. The key holder arrived and on searching the premises, they found the suspect (25 years old) in the bathroom. At the time of his arrest, he was wearing a jacket belonging to the school and a computer tower was also missing. He was arrested and is expected to appear in court soon.
In the second incident, on 11 January 2021 at about 12:45, four males entered a shop at the corners of Durban and Lower Drostdy Streets in Uitenhage and threatened the owner with firearms.
They took cash and cigarettes valued at R2 100-00. As they fled in a black Opel Corsa towards New Street, they were cornered by SAPS Uitenhage members who were alerted of the robbery by community members. One suspect jumped out of the moving vehicle and was arrested. Police continued chasing the other three suspects in the vehicle. Another suspect was arrested in a parking lot. The other two suspects fled into the bushes and one suspect was later arrested by Uitenhage K9 unit. The fourth suspect managed to get away. The money and cigarettes were recovered. The Opel Corsa was confiscated by police.
The suspects aged 35, 37 and 38 years old are detained on a charge of business robbery and are expected to appear in the Uitenhage magistrates’ court soon.
On Tuesday, 12 January 2021 at about 02:40, SAPS Kwazakhele Crime Prevention Unit members responded to a complaint of a housebreaking in progress at a high school in Jakavula Street in Kwazakhele. On arrival, they were met by the caretaker and the security company. On inspecting the premises, they found that the toilet door was broken and noises emanating from the ceiling trap door which was opened. Suspects were eventually apprehended after a two hour effort in trying to get them out. The 19 and 30 year old were found in possession of computer equipment.
They are expected to appear in the Motherwell magistrates’ court on Thursday, 14 January 2021 on a charge of housebreaking.
Acting Mount Road Cluster Commander, Brig Thandiswa Kupiso commended the partnership between the SAPS and the security companies in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro. ‘Private security companies are an integral part of society and are one of our key stakeholders in the process of crime prevention. Together working in the fight against crime, we can ensure that criminals are not given a chance to flourish within our communities. Therefore, it is imperative that though we have different mandates, there should be joint efforts in support of one another,’ added Brig Kupiso
