Durban — A vehicle suspected to have been used in a fuel theft incident has been impounded for investigation by police.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said that the vehicle suspected to be used in the commission of an offence was impounded for further investigation.
“The matter is still under investigation, no arrests were made,” Gwala said.
Gwala was responding to a media query about a fuel theft suspect who was allegedly arrested during a highway festive operation recently.
Blue Security said that its Community Crime Prevention Unit (CCPU), supported by SNIPR vehicle licence plate recognition technology, successfully apprehended a suspect on Friday afternoon who was wanted for a Sydenham case of theft from a fuel station in September.
The company said that the tactical team received information about the suspect’s vehicle while conducting crime prevention festive operations in the Upper Highway area with Hillcrest SAPS, Metro Police and security partners.
“The Blue partnered SNIPR camera technology triggered an alert when the vehicle passed the Waterfall area. The team immediately located the vehicle and apprehended the suspect at a shopping centre in Waterfall. Hillcrest SAPS processed the recovered vehicle and driver,” Blue Security said.
Last month, sister publication The Mercury reported that a motorist who filled his tank with R500 worth of fuel from a petrol station in Briardene, Durban North, and sped off, ran out of luck after a Marshall Security armed response officer saw the culprit.
Marshall Security managing director Tyron Powell said that an armed response officer was on duty standing off at a garage on North Coast Road when he witnessed the motorist speed off.
“He noticed a gold Toyota Avanza leaving the fuel station at a speed and petrol attendants chasing after the vehicle. The petrol attendants informed our officer that the motorist had put in fuel for R500 and sped off without paying for it,” Powell said.
He said the armed response officer immediately chased after the vehicle, down North Coast Road and then into Inanda Road.
“He eventually managed to bring the vehicle to a stop near Willowfield Crescent in Springfield Park. He immediately apprehended the suspect,” said Powell.
Powell said the Greenwood Park SAPS were dispatched and arrived a short while later. The suspect and vehicle were transported back to the petrol station and a case of theft of fuel was opened.
Daily News