S.Africa: Crime: When Blacks slice up stolen cars – chop shops – Gauteng operation uncovers chop-shop, nets 650 suspects
[They cut up the cars and sell them for spare parts. That way the vehicles can't be identified. Jan]
Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela and senior officers from South African Police Service and other law enforcement agencies led the foot soldiers of Operation O Kae Molao to stabilize Ivory Park in Ekurhuleni on Thursday 7 January 2021.
The team that included SAPS Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit, Data Dot and Tracker Connect pounced on a chop-shop in Ivory Park and recovered vehicles and vehicle parts that were reported stolen. The recovered parts include Nissan NP200 brake boosters and petrol tanks of cars stolen in Kempton Park, Alexandra, Lyttleton, Putfontein and Bethany in North West Province.
The team also impounded four vehicles whose engines were tempered with. The manager at the chop shop was arrested and charged with possession of suspected stolen cars and goods. “This is a major breakthrough for us. The recovery of these vehicle parts will help us crack lot of stolen and hijacked vehicle cases in the province” said Lieutenant General Mawela.
Five undocumented foreign nationals were also arrested on the premises.
Furthermore, police arrested more than six hundred and fifty (650) suspects, of which one hundred and ten (110) were arrested for gender based violence which remains on top of Provincial Commissioner’s list of priorities, during O Kae Molao operations that were conducted throughout the province. The integrated operations that started on Wednesday night focused mainly on tracing of suspects wanted for serious and violent crimes and gender based violence, roadblocks, contact crimes, illegal mining and enforcing level three lockdown regulations.
Suspects were arrested for offences that include murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, rape, common robbery, house breaking and theft, business robbery, driving while under the influence of alcohol, possession of unlicensed firearm, possession of drugs, possession of gold bearing material, possession of suspected stolen property, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, theft and contravention of National Disaster Management Act.
All arrested suspects are expected to appear before various Magistrate Courts in the province in due course.