Vigilant police members ensured the arrest of three men and the recovery of various car-breaking and car-jamming equipment at McDonald’s this morning.
Brigadier Mashadi Selepe, the Visible Policing commander for the West Rand District, explained to the News what had happened.
She said members from the West Rand Police District noticed a car in the parking lot of the McDonald’s on the corner of Paardekraal Drive and Luipaard Street. The car had North West province number plates.
When they called in to check the number plate it did not correspond with the car. A preliminary investigation revealed that it was a rental car and that the fake number plate was stuck to the registered number plate.
A man was sitting in the car while two others, dressed in work overalls, were inside McDonald’s.
Police then apprehended the man in the car and when the other two inside noticed the police, they tried to flee.
One of them went into the bathroom where he tried to escape through the ceiling. The other one took off his overalls and went to sit among the other patrons in the restaurant.
The suspect in the bathroom was apprehended and patrons led the officers to the other one who still had his overalls with him.
When they searched the car, they found numerous implements used to steal cars. They found computer boxes, gloves, cellphones and implements used to break into cars.
Another alarming find was two devices and various brand-new car keys. These devices can be used to code the car keys so that they can open any vehicle.
Upon further investigation a Ford Ranger was also found and when searched, numerous number plates and a blue light were found inside.
A white bakkie was also linked to the three suspects, and a search also revealed a blue light and various number plates.
Police suspect that the men had been on the McDonald’s premises for other reasons as the restaurant’s management confirmed that their cash-in-transit G4S trucks usually come at that time to collect their takings. No weapons were found on the suspects but Selepe said the suspects could very well be part of a syndicate.
She added that the public and especially car rental companies should be aware that some people use rental vehicles to commit crimes.
The scene was closed off while police investigations continued.
