While Camps Bay remains one of Cape Town’s most sought-after and affluent suburbs, drawing visitors and residents from across the globe, concerns have been raised over what is believed to be a criminal syndicate, dubbed the Nightcrawlers, who are allegedly operating in the area.
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This week, security experts were reluctant to go into too much detail regarding recent break-ins in the area, but sources claim that these crimes were the work of the group.
Despite living on a ‘secure property’, Camps Bay one resident said that they had been the target of several attempted break-ins recently.
‘The main house had already been hit twice,’ she said. ‘On the third occasion I saw the guys and set off the alarm, so they bailed.’
‘Then, about three weeks ago, they broke in during loadshedding and made off with any electronic equipment they could carry.’
‘We have high walls with spikes as well as beams so our house is secure. They still managed to get in without setting off the alarm so they obviously knew where the beams were.’
This was not an isolated incident, the resident said, adding that similar crimes had also been reported by some of her neighbours.
‘There are a few of my neighbours who have had similar break-ins,’ she added. ‘The suspects seem to be targeting houses where they can gain access by removing the silicone from aluminium window frames in order to remove the glass without breaking it or making a sound.’
‘Computers, TVs, laptops, headsets and any other expensive electronics that they can carry are taken.’
‘There are quite a few woody and bushy areas in the vicinity which are easy to disappear into.’
‘Camps Bay is an affluent area and popular among tourists who are always coming and going.’
‘They often don’t really have much experience when it comes to crime and ensuring that their property is safe and secure at all times, making them ideal targets for this type of crime.’
Meanwhile, police confirmed that they were investigating the matter.
‘The circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation,’ said SAPS spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi. ‘Camps Bay police registered a case of house breaking for further investigation. The suspects are yet to be arrested.’
‘Anyone with information is kindly requested to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.’
While the latest quarterly crime statistics indicate a decrease in break-ins in Camps Bay, a local security expert acknowledged that such crimes in the area were still cause for concern.
Requesting anonymity and reluctant to elaborate on the precise modus operandi (MO), for fear of encouraging other criminal elements to follow their example, the expert said that the burglars’ methods were hardly unique to the area.
He added that taking every precaution to protect residents and property would go a long way towards further reducing the prevalence of such crimes.
‘Their MO is hardly unique to the area,’ he said. ‘In fact, this kind of crime is happening throughout Cape Town and across the country.’
‘We don’t really want to go into specifics as this may result in more break-ins where criminals replicate their methods.’
‘What we would like to do is encourage the public to always make sure that their alarm system is activated and windows and doors are locked.’
‘In roughly half of the break-ins in the area, this isn’t the case. It’s these little things that are very important and ensuring that your property is as secure as possible can make all the difference.’
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