Whoonga gang linked to Crestholme housebreakings

In a joint effort with a private investigator a whoonga housebreaking gang is believed to be behind a spate of burglaries in the Crestholme area in recent months.
Blue Security Special Projects manager Stephen Wimborne said the company had hired a private investigator who had recently traced the alleged housebreakers to a whoonga gang in Molweni.
He said housebreakings had been rampant in Woodbush Road, Woodlands Road and Bridalvale Road despite strong visible policing and earlier arrests in the suburb. “We had made several arrests in the area over the months, but we were concerned that the housebreakings had persisted with residents being hit more than once in some cases,” he said.
“We approached a leading local private investigator and got him onto the case. He worked closely with the SAPS K9 unit to stake out the area and within weeks managed to obtain information that led them to a gang of three alleged whoonga addicts who were operating as housebreakers in the area. He discovered that the gang would break into the houses early in the morning, grabbing valuables such as tools, laptops and televisions, that they would then go and sell to taxi drivers who were passing through the area,” Wimborne said.
Wimborne said one of the gang members was arrested and taken to the Hillcrest Police Station for further questioning before being released on a stern warning.
Crestwatch Neighbourhood Watch vice-chairman Travis Goveia said the number of incidents in the vicinity said the number of housebreakings had dropped dramatically since the arrest.
“We hope that this latest arrest and warning sends a strong message to the gang and to any other criminals that they cannot expect to operate here with impunity and not be tracked to their own homes to face the consequences. We will continue to work together with security companies and the police, employing the necessary resources to ensure that criminals are brought to book,” he said.