Police in the province continue to clamp down on car theft and as a result, they nabbed a 32-year-old man in possession of suspected stolen car in Bethal on 14 October 2022.
His arrest came after members of the police from Visible Policing in Bethal were busy with their normal duties. Whilst conducting patrols within the Central Business District (CBD), they spotted a suspicious white VW Polo Vivo with one male occupant.
It is further said that the vehicle was traveling at Liebenberg Avenue but on the wrong side of the road thereby facing oncoming traffic. The members are said to have immediately ordered the driver of the car to stop.
Once it came to a halt, the men and women in Blue noticed that the said car had Gauteng registration number plates however when verification of its authenticity was made, it was then discovered that the vehicle was reported stolen at Middelburg in June 2021.
The male suspect was then arrested and charged for possession of suspected stolen property. The preliminary investigation by the police has since revealed that the suspect is an Ethiopian national who was reportedly not in possession of legal documents to be in the Republic of South Africa hence an additional charge of contravention of the Immigration Act was laid against him.
The man is due to appear at thr Bethal Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 17 October 2022 facing the said charges. Police at this stage cannot rule out the possibility of adding more charges against the suspect in relation to the recovered vehicle or crime committed elsewhere.
Meanwhile the Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has lauded the exceptional work performed by the members who displayed professionalism and dedication. “The reason why we send members for training is because we want to see excellence when they carry out their day-to-day duties thereby providing service to the community that they serve. Persistence in this fashion in conjunction with the information that the public provides, then crime will surely be reduced” said the General.
