A range of expensive bikes, along with essential infrastructure, were among the allegedly stolen items that were discovered by the City of Cape Town’s Metal Theft Unit when they responded to a complaint of cable theft in progress in Ravensmead on Sunday.
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According to Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, the unit received a complaint of cable theft at about 2:30am, from a member of the public who was walking in the road and noticed a person running from the scene.
Upon entering the yard, the members identified themselves and explained the reason for being there to a person who claimed to be the owner of the property. They then obtained permission to look for the suspect.
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‘While searching for the suspect, the members noticed bags which resembled items of scrap metal. They enquired from the owner if he deals in scrap metal to which he comforted he did,’ Smith said.
The owner was identified as an unregistered scrap metal dealer.
‘They found commodity in the one room which resembled essential infrastructure. On further inspection on the outside of the house additional items were recovered, all deemed as belonging to essential infrastructure.’
‘Further investigation uncovered a range of expensive bicycles, of which the serial numbers were all removed,’ Smith said.
Two suspects were detained for possessing allegedly stolen property under the Criminal Matters Amendment Act 18 of 2015 and the Second Hand Goods Act 6/2009 with the assistance of LEAP officers.
Items seized as evidence and then handed over to SAPS included 48kg of mixed copper, 123kg of brass copper, 13kg of aluminum, two metres of PRASA signal cable, 13kg of bag PRASA cable, 1m of 4 core copper cable, 1m of 4 core aluminium cable, two water metres, one scale, two Silverback Mountain bicycles, one Raleigh Mountain bicycle, one Scott Mountain bicycle, one Cloudbutler Mountain bicycle, and one Titan Mountain bicycle.
If anyone can identify any of the mountain bikes as their own, they can contact the Investigating Officer at Ravensmead SAPS on 021 933 9000, 021 933 9005, or anonymously contact Crime Stop at 086 0010 111 or SMS Crime Line at 32211.
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Picture: JP Smith / Facebook