Warrant Officer Balan Muthan, head of communications for the Douglasdale police, said the time leading up to the festive season is rife with crime as people are looking to get money fast.
Theft out of motor vehicles, especially involving remote jamming, is one of the most prolific crimes in the Douglasdale policing precinct and the spoils of these crimes such as laptops, cellphones and tablets most often end up being sold to second-hand dealers.
Muthan said the police are now doing regular visits to second-hand dealers to check that they have fulfilled all protocol when making trades.
“Second-hand dealers need to have a copy of the seller’s ID and the item that has been bought must be kept for seven days before it is re-sold,” Muthan said. He explained that while making inspections, police also examine if there is a trend with particular customers who regularly sell goods to second-hand stores as this raises red flags about the origin of the goods.
“If the second-hand dealer suspects that an item is stolen, it is their responsibility to report the seller and make sure the items are not re-sold,” Muthan said.
He mentioned that many items that are reported stolen in Fourways are actually found at second-hand dealers in Hillbrow, as second-hand stores there are allegedly more relaxed about protocol.
