Suspect arrested for cellphone theft at OR Tambo

EMPD officers from the OR Tambo International Airport precinct arrested one suspect on July 25 for cellphone theft.

On the day, officers were stopped by a man who introduced himself as Alderman Benjamin Robinson of the CoE and informed the members that he was pickpocketed of his cellphone, valued at R11 000, in the airport terminals.

EMPD spokesperson Kelebogile Thepa said that Robinson also informed the members that his daughter was tracing the stolen cellphone from her cellphone.

Thepa said that the officers then requested Robinson to hand over his daughter’s cellphone and requested that he and his daughter follow them.

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“The members proceeded to follow the direction of where the stolen cellphone was at the airport,” said Thepa.

She said that officers then blocked off the roadway and stopped and searched the vehicles, starting with a Harambee Bus.

Thepa told the Kempton Express all passengers were asked to step out of the bus and the stolen cellphone was found under one of the seats in the bus.

“Members enquired with the bus driver which passenger was sitting on that seat and the bus driver identified the passenger,” she said.

In addition, Thepa said that Robinson informed officers that the passenger whose seat the cellphone was found under was the last person who he had talked to after realising his phone was gone.

She said the passenger confirmed this to the EMPD officers and confessed to being the one who took the cellphone from the victim.

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The 30-year-old male suspect was placed under arrest and detained at the OR Tambo International Airport Police Station and charged with theft.

“The suspect will be appearing in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court,” she said.