By Buziwe Nocuze
An intelligence-driven integrated operation led by Mfuleni police to address the recent spate of robberies in the policing precinct yielded positive results when three men were arrested after they were found in possession of mobile devices they could not account for.
Zingisa Sobantu, a 35-year-old woman from Mfuleni, is happy that a repair shop owner was also arrested.
“They are the reason we are getting robbed. Our phones are sold to them. And they are also the ones who open the security on them after being taken from us,” said the resident.
Another resident, speaking anonymously, believes that if SAPS can do those operations on shops that repair televisions and other devices, they can recover a lot of stolen goods.
“Mfuleni is not the same. It has changed and the crime is too high. We used to carry our phones while walking to the mall, but that’s a thing of the past because we can get robbed on our way there by criminals driving cars,” said the resident.
The car would stop next to anyone carrying a phone and the phone would be grabbed at gunpoint before driving away.
“Some steal televisions. They get inside our homes pretending to be asking for directions while they are there to take your television and phones. It is only SAPS who can stop this by doing these operations every month in all repair shops,” said the resident.
Western Cape SAPS spokesperson, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, said reports suggested that mobile phones taken in street robberies are sold to the owner of a cellphone repair centre on the corner of Mfuleni Main Road.
“The members operationalised the information at their disposal and approached the address on Wednesday, 15 May. Upon entering the premises, they searched the entire area and confiscated a consignment of mobile devices,” said Swartbooi.
The owner of the property could not provide a reasonable explanation for owning the mobile devices.
“Three males aged between 24 and 25 were arrested on a charge of possession of presumed stolen property,” said Swartbooi.
The suspects are expected to make a court appearance in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court on the mentioned charge.
Pictured above: Three suspects, including a repair shop owner, were arrested in Mfuleni after being found in possession of mobile devices they could not account for.
Image source: Supplied
