Durban - After months of investigations and weeks of surveillance, the Durban Metro Police has broken the back of a major car theft syndicate operating along the Durban beachfront.
For months, Durban’s golden mile has been plagued by a spate of vehicle thefts, particularly of Ford Rangers, Toyota Hiluxs’ and VW Polo’s.
The Durban Metro Police believe they have cracked open the syndicate after members of their Trio Crime Unit arrested eight syndicate members and recovered nine stolen vehicles.
Metro Police spokesman, Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad said that officers found log book stamps, chassis stamps and a host of other tools the syndicate used to carry out their crimes.
The arrests were a result of the successful collaboration between Boss-UIP Security Specialists, Tsogo Sun Hotel Group, Love Durban UIP and the South Beach UIP, said Raz Ali of Boss-UIP.
Boss-UIP Security is contracted to the Urban Improvement Precinct companies on the Durban beachfront and have worked closely with the metro police in tracking the syndicate, Ali said.
The high drama started early on Sunday morning when members of the trio crime unit spotted a VW Polo and began following it.
The trio crime unit followed the Polo through the city centre all the way to South Beach where it parked next to a Ford Ranger on South Beach Avenue.
Members of the syndicate got out their vehicle and began prying open the Ford Ranger.
Unbeknown to them they were being watched by the metro police who swooped on them before they could steal the vehicle.
The syndicate members were found with car breaking instruments, computer boxes and a host of tools used to gain entry into vehicles.
Sewpersad said that the men arrested on the beachfront led officers to a house in Klaarwater near Pinetown where the stolen cars were recovered and a host of items were seized.
He said that among the eight men arrested was a Mozambican resident.
“We must commend the members of our trio crime unit. The work they have done in tracking this syndicate is commendable,” Sewpersad said,
Investigators searched two properties on Sunday where they found a hand grenade.
The Saps Explosive unit and members of the Provincial Vehicle Theft Unit were called out to the scene.
A police uniform was also found at a property linked to the suspects.
“We are thankful to the metro police for helping drive the project,” Ali said.
“Arresting this syndicate is a major success for all the role players on the Durban beachfront and goes to prove that collaboration between the the UIP’s, the hotels, the residential properties, us a security company and the law enforcement is key to fighting and solving crime,” he said.