Toti resident’s tip-off leads to arrest of six wanted car thieves

A vigilant resident’s tip-off after she spotted a gang of suspects removing their vehicle’s number plate at the side of the road in Amanzimtoti led to the arrest of a wanted gang of alleged car thieves.
Blue Security’s Amanzimtoti Tactical Community ambassador, Eugene Engelbrecht, said that the alert resident noticed the suspects in Winnifred Drive, in the afternoon.
“The resident noticed the suspects jump out of a white Toyota Corrolla and remove the plates of the vehicle. She then quickly alerted her local neighbourhood watch group via its WhatsApp group, and local security firms and the police sped into action,” Engelbrecht said.
“The message was escalated to our CCPO team by a C Track member who is on the group and our team members immediately responded to search for the vehicle. A CCPO security guard spotted the vehicle in the old Amanzimtoti CBD area and our armed response officer, an officer from another security firm and the Metro Police dog unit responded to the scene. The suspects were cornered and arrested just after they entered Hutchinson Park,” he said.
“Six suspects were arrested for being in possession of car breaking implements. An airgun was also recovered from the vehicle. The arrests are believed to be a breakthrough in fighting vehicle theft in the neighbourhood although the police investigation is continuing,” Engelbrecht said. Amanzimtoti SAPS took the suspects into custody at the scene.
“We commend the resident whose vigilance and quick action ended up in such a positive result in terms of this arrest today. We urge all members of the community to get involved in the fight against crime. As this case shows, just being eyes and ears on the ground, is a vital role that residents of any age can play in providing us and the police with the intelligence we need to thwart criminals in their tracks,” he said.