Good investigations secure arrests

THANKS to the close partnership between Enforce and Durban North SAPS, two criminals, who have been linked to various house break-ins in the uMhlanga area, have been put behind bars.

According to Enforce’s head of investigations, Nico Potgieter, there’s been a persistent problem with night and early morning break-ins in the area.

Through information received and the follow-up investigations, Enforce and SAPS were able to identify some of the suspects involved in these break-ins. For the sake of not confusing readers, the two suspects have been given false names, Mandla and Sipho.

Through joint efforts between Durban North SAPS, Enforce, uMhlanga UIP security guards, Breakers Resort’s internal security guards and other security companies, Sipho was arrested on 11 October while breaking in to a holiday home in the area.

Enforce, with permission, and in the attendance of a Durban North SAPS officer, interviewed Sipho at the station.

During the interview it was then found that another criminal, Mandla (a foreigner), had been linked to various break-ins in the area. Mandla was arrested the same day.

“This success was only possible because of the working relationship formed between Enforce and Durban North SAPS.

“Many of these criminals have been arrested previously, in about 2006 or 2007, for similar offences. We’ve also established the identities of other suspects and we are working closely with Captain DS Govender and his team at Durban North SAPS,” Potgieter added.

Previous investigation secures arrest of foreigner

IN a previous incident, a man’s cellphone was stolen in a house break-in on 20 September.

When he asked his network provider for his call log, he noticed a number was called, on the night his phone was stolen, that he did not recognise.

He informed Enforce Security, who then investigated, identifying one of the suspects, Mandla, in the house break-in and secured a photo of him.

Foreigner linked to local suspect

WHILE Enforce Security’s investigators were interviewing Sipho, he told them how the gang he belonged to operated.

Police and Enforce officers then convinced Sipho to call the driver for the gang (Mandla), who was arrested on the same night.

Sipho convinced the driver (Mandla) to ‘pick him up’ at a certain point, where police waited for him.

Enforce found that Mandla was the same man identified in the 20 September house break-in.

“We confirmed that the driver was linked to another crime, as we had a photo of him and confirmed that the cellphone number called in the 20 September house break-in was his number,” Potgieter said.

How these gangs operate

THROUGH Enforce Security’s investigations and interviews with gang members it was found that:

– This particular gang consists of three to five members, who don’t all work at the same time.

– Most of the house break-ins happen between 1am to 5am.

– These gangs have a specific driver, who drops them and picks them up. This driver does not roam around in the area.

– House, flats and complexes are targeted.

– The thieves, and the stolen goods, hide in a certain place until the driver is contacted to pick them up.

– Once all the stolen goods are loaded into the car, a buyer is contacted and some of the goods are sold immediately. Some goods are sold in the central business district of Durban or in the Point area, while other goods are taken out the country and sold abroad.

– It was found that some of these drivers include metered taxi drivers.

– Further investigations revealed that these drivers don’t only work for one gang, but many at a time or in a night.

– Holiday homes are targeted, because these criminals know the owners aren’t from this province, and would often not be able to travel to KZN for the trial.