Mitchell’s Plain police arrested two men, aged 19 and 30, after a man was robbed at a shop in Third Avenue, Town Centre, on Saturday January 11, at 6.10am.
After the man bought something, two men who were also in the shop, grabbed his money from him.
One of the suspects pointed a gun at the man and told him to walk out of the shop with them.
The suspects took the man’s phone and wallet. The man spotted the police and pointed at the suspects, who were arrested by police who retrieved the stolen items and returned it to the man.
They face charges relating to possession of a stolen cellphone and possession of an imitation firearm.
Police arrested a 39-year-old man after he was caught with 13 live rounds of ammunition on Sunday January 12 in Cascade Street, Tafelsig, at 7.30am. The suspect faces a charge of possession of ammunition.
He appeared in court on Monday January 13.
On the same day, at 5.50pm, Mitchell’s Plain police arrested a 40-year-old man found with 63 units of heroin and 17 packets of tik in Rolbal Street, Beacon Valley. The man appeared in court on Monday January 13.
Three men, aged 27, 30, and 33, were arrested after being caught in a stolen vehicle on Friday January 10, at 11.30am.
Police spotted the Opel Corsa with registration CA 173 076 jumping a red robot. After police pulled the vehicle off, they discovered that it had false number plates.
The men face charges of possession of a suspected stolen vehicle. The suspects appeared in court on Monday January 13.
With street robberies prevalent in Mitchell’s Plain and an increase in the number of reported car-jackings, police have urged the community to safeguard themselves and their property.
Police say most street robberies are reported to occur in the main routes that people use to go shopping, namely AZ Berman Drive, Morgenster Road and Wespoort Drive and the most prominent day for street robberies are Fridays, usually between noon and 6pm. The modus operandi involves two to four armed men who target people with cellphones, jewellery and cash. They usually flee the scene on foot.
The police have also encouraged residents to work with them through structures such as community police forums to bring down this level of crime and to apply the following safety tips as part of part of preventative measures:
Know your emergency numbers.
Don’t carry large amounts of cash.
Let a trusted person accompany you when you are going to withdraw cash.
Keep your cellphone hidden when walking in the street.
Should you be robbed, make a noise to attract attention.
Always be aware of your surroundings.
When you go somewhere, try to move in a group.
Be aware of crime opportunities at all times.
Trust your instincts – if you don’t feel safe somewhere, then move away quickly.
Take note of suspects’ clothing, facial features, hair, to name a few.
Police have also noted an increase in the reported cases of car-jackings in Mitchell’s Plain. Most of these incidents occurred at the Mnandi Beach area at night while people were parking at the beach. In some instances victims have been forced off the road or forced to stop. The police say they have had reports of bricks and branches placed in the road to create an obstruction, forcing motorists to stop. Reported cases indicate groups consisting of two to four men with firearms gun-pointing victims.
For emergencies or to report a crime, call 10111 or contact your nearest police station: Mitchell’s Plain police station at 021 370 1600, Strandfontein police station at 021 370 1500 and Lentegeur police station at 021 377 5000 or 021 377 5008. If you know of any criminal activities or want to report a crime anonymously, contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111. If you want to report cases of child abuse, email childprotect@saps.gov.za You can contact the SAPS Service Complaints Centre to register a complaint on SAPS service delivery on the toll-free number 0800 333 177.