Provincial Commissioner welcomes arrest for theft of government-owned vehicles

DURBAN – The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula congratulated members of the Plessislaer Vehicle Tracking and Investigation Unit for the recovery of two stolen government vehicles. “Intensive investigations are underway to crack this syndicate that is involved in the hijacking and theft of government vehicles. This breakthrough is very significant and more arrests cannot be ruled out,” he said.

Yesterday police officers from the Plessislaer Vehicle Tracking and Investigation Unit acted on intelligence with regards to a possible chop shop operating in the Mbutshane area under the Plessislaer policing precinct. They proceeded to the said location and a search was conducted. Police officers found an Isuzu bakkie on the premises and further investigation established that the vehicle was stolen at Ndwedwe. The vehicle was one of eight government-owned vehicles that were stolen at Ndwedwe during a robbery at the offices of the Department of Agriculture on 10 February 2020.

During the robbery, eight armed men allegedly entered the Ndwedwe Department of Agriculture offices and held up the two security guards who were on duty. They then gained entry into an administration office and obtained the keys for the vehicles which were locked in a safe. Eight state vehicles were taken from the premises.

During a further search of the premises at Plessislaer, police officers also seized a VW Golf sedan. Preliminary investigations revealed that the vehicle was also a government-owned vehicle which was stolen in the Taylors Halt area during September 2019. A 34-year-old suspect was placed under arrest for possession of the suspected stolen property. He is appearing at the Pietermaritzburg Magistrates Court later today.