PE #FlyingSquad hot on the heels of criminals: Port Elizabeth
PORT ELIZABETH – To further enhance response times and to assist the members at stations with additional capacity, the Operational Response Services like the Flying Squad are making sure that criminals do not have the upper hand in our communities.
It is alleged that on Saturday, 14 September 2019 at about 01:50, the complainant, aged 45-years-old was on his way home when he was stopped in Ross Gradwell Street in Uitenhage and hijacked of his VW Jetta 6 at knife point by 5 unknown males and a female. They took his R100-00 cash and his vehicle. He managed to flee and seek help.
At about 07:15, the same day, PE Flying Squad members (W/O Severiano Blundin and Const Eugene Abrahams) acted on information received about a vehicle that was hijacked in the Uitenhage area and was on its way to Port Elizabeth to be sold. The vehicle, a VW Jetta 6 was spotted with no registration plates at the corners of Standford and Kempston Roads. When the suspects spotted the police vehicle, they tried to speed away but drove into dead end in Kempston Road. The 5 occupants alighted and started running. The members managed to tactically apprehend 4 of them while 1 managed to flee.
The suspects aged between 16 and 19 years old were detained for hijacking and are expected to appear in the Uitenhage magistrates’ court on Monday, 16/09. The vehicle was impounded for further investigation.
In another incident, the same members were almost completing their tour of duty when they responded to information about a business robbery which occurred in the Knysna area in the Western Cape. It was further alleged that the suspects were seen passing the toll road at Tsitsikamma, heading for the Eastern Cape.
At about 18:45, the members headed towards the N2 and just outside Humansdorp, the suspected vehicle was seen speeding away from ensuing private security vehicles. The members joined in the chase and succeeded in forcing it off the road. One suspect (39) was apprehended. Two cellphones, a watch and a small amount of cash was seized. The VW Polo TSI was also confiscated.
Humandsorp Cluster Commander, Brig Lebok complimented the members and the security company for their excellent team effort and commitment in expeditiously locating the sought vehicle and apprehending the suspect. “Our men and women in blue are alert and criminals are warned that we will not tolerate them committing crimes in other Provinces and think of escaping to the Eastern Cape. This speedy arrest is an excellent example of ‘you can run but you cannot hide.’ The members made sure that the suspect was safely back in the Western Cape before reporting off duty at 01:00 this morning, 15 September 2019,” added Brig Lebok.
