Quick reaction from the Umzinto K9 unit resulted in the arrest of two alleged car thieves and a burglar last week.
“A blue Mazda 323 was allegedly stolen from Ironwood Road in Pennington on Wednesday, 27 January,” said Major Thulani Zwane of the SAPS KZN media centre.
“The theft was reported to Scottburgh SAPS and details of the vehicle were immediately circulated over the police radio. Shortly thereafter, members of the Umzinto K9 Unit had two suspects in custody and recovered the vehicle.”
It is alleged that a 67-year-old Pennington resident had parked the car close to Ironwood Walk at about 7.55am and when she returned at 1.05pm, discovered the car had been stolen.
W/O Brendon Rensburg and Cst Pagel Rajah of the Umzinto K9 Unit headed to the N2 highway, where they spotted the stolen Mazda travelling north.
They intercepted the vehicle and arrested two car thieves.
The car was impounded and the arrested men detained until their first appearance in the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 1 February on a theft of motor vehicle charge.
The case is being investigated by the Port Shepstone Vehicle Identification Section (VIS).
The following night, a resident in a block of flats in Marine Terrace, Scottburgh went to bed at about 9pm and awoke to lights flashing through his window at 3.30am.
He was surprised when police informed him that he had been burgled. Only then did he discover that his front sliding door and bedroom door were standing open. He also found his iPhone and wallet containing various cards were missing.
“Scottburgh SAPS had received a report of a burglary in progress and informed the patrol vehicles over the police radio,” said Major Zwane.
“Police reservists who were deployed in the beachfront area and Csts Brandon Gates and Nqoba Doncabe of the Umzinto K9 unit responded.
When they arrived at the block of flats, they noticed a trash bin beneath an open window and realised that was how the burglars entered the flat.”
Cst Gates’ patrol dog Zeus followed the scent and tackled the thief about 50 metres away in the yard.
The iPhone and wallet were found in the man’s possession.
The man was arrested and detained and will appear in the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 1 February.
