Blue Monday for Highway Criminals: Swift Response Foils Multiple Incidents

It was a Blue Monday in every sense of the word for some Durban criminals where, in separate incidents, a stolen luxury vehicle was recovered, a housebreaking suspect was arrested and theft from a property was avoided due to quick response by reaction units.
“A luxury vehicle, which was stolen during an armed robbery at a Malvern home, was luckily tracked and recovered in Newlands on Monday night,” said Blue Security community and media liaison officer, Andreas Mathios. “The successful recovery followed a traumatic armed robbery where a Malvern family was held up at gunpoint by an armed gang,” Mathios said. “Blue Security’s control centre despatched response units to a Malvern property in response to a call at around 7pm on Monday evening and stood down with members of Malvern SAPS,” he said.
“Six armed suspects, wearing balaclavas, had entered the property and held up the family at gunpoint. The suspects stole a flatscreen TV, jewellery and cash before fleeing in a luxury vehicle belonging to the family,” he said. “A description of the stolen vehicle was circulated and a tracking team later successfully located it abandoned in Newlands. A few items were recovered in the vehicle but the TV and cellphones were missing,” he said. Investigations are continuing.
In Gillitts successful teamwork, between Blue Security’s Highway Tactical Team and the community’s neighbourhood watch units, resulted in the apprehending of a housebreaking suspect on Monday.
“The successful arrest occurred after two housebreaking incidents in the Gillitts area on Monday. The first incident was a notification, received by Blue Security Control Centre, of a housebreaking in progress which took place in the Glenwood Road area just after 10am,” said the Blue Security Highway Tactical Ambassador. “The suspect, however, managed to evade capture after disappearing into nearby bush,” he said.
“Later in the afternoon another housebreaking activation was received, this time in the Bluegum Road area in Gillitts. Reaction officers immediately proceeded to the location where the suspect had last been seen,” he said. “The suspect took off in the direction of Stockmore Road with Blue Security’s Highway Tactical Team units, CPOs and members of the community’s neighbourhood watch in hot pursuit,” he said.
“The teamwork during the search paid off as the suspect was apprehended in Stockmore Road. An iPhone and two USBs were amongst the items recovered from the incident in Bluegum Road. A laptop was found dumped outside the property where the incident occurred,” he said. “The housebreaking suspect had been interrupted by the resident who had arrived home and surprised him in the act. He was transported to Hillcrest SAPS for further processing and pending further investigations,” he said. “Other housebreaking incidents, where items such as a bicycle and sneakers were taken in the Hillcrest Park area, have been linked to this suspect,” he said.
In the third incident, in Summerveld on Monday night, a swift response from Blue Security reaction officers resulted in an attempted theft from property being aborted.
“Response units were despatched after multiple panic alarm activations were received at a light industrial business premises,” Mathios said. “Six suspects had accessed the property by breaking the concrete fence. They then proceeded to open the wheel nuts on two wheels of a truck that had arrived earlier and was parked on the property,” he said. “The suspects fled when disturbed by the activated panic alarm. The truck’s wheel nuts were found scattered outside the boundary fence,” he said. Investigations are continuing.
Durban residents are advised to not be complacent and leave doors open, while at home, to avoid becoming a target for opportunistic criminals. “It is vital to tighten up security, check communications with the security provider and ensure that current precautions are in good working order,” Mathios said.