500 litres of diesel: Six fuel thieves caught red-handed

Police have caught six suspects stealing fuel from vehicles in the North West.

The group were tracked to a farm in Stilfontein last Thursday morning.

According to reports, the accused were allegedly caught stealing diesel from two construction vehicles as well as a light delivery vehicle,” said police spokesperson Colonel Adele Myburgh.

ALSO READ: R30k fuel bill: Criminals go on diesel spending spree

Police confiscated 20 drums, containing a total of 500 litres of diesel, during the arrest.

Lindelwa Nkwanyane (31), Simiso Ngcomphalala (29), John Rasereka (64), Amos Novela (57), Piet Leeu (34) and Olebogeng Sejako (41) appeared in the Stilfontein Magistrates’ Court on Friday on a charge of theft.

They were remanded in custody until their next appearance on Friday, 5 July.

A R30k fuel bill

Alleged hijackers went on fuel field day last month, racking up a bill worth R30 000.

The two suspects were nabbed with an alleged cloned card used to purchase over 650 litres of diesel in 20-litre containers.

ALSO READ: Foreign national petrol attendant in court over stealing R400K

They were discovered in a stolen bakkie in Standerton, Mpumalanga. The vehicle was taken last year around 480km, or 5-and-a-half hours away in Isiphingo, KwaZulu-Natal.

How to prevent fuel theft

Private security company Fidelity ADT offered several tips to protect yourself from falling victim to fuel theft.

These include:

• Use off-street or secure parking. Putting your car out of sight or behind a locked door can make it less attractive to any thieves.
• Make sure that your garage has an alarm that picks up movement, and check your gate and locks
• Try and park in an area with a lot of lighting and regular foot traffic.
• Where possible, park so that your fuel cap is in sight
• Do not leave your car in one place for a long time, and never leave valuables in it.
• Report any suspicious behaviour to your security company.