Tollgate bust of ‘stolen goods’

Plettenberg Bay police station commander praised local officers for discovering suspected stolen goods worth more than R80 000.

Police spokesperson Captain Marlene Pieterse said Constables Siyavuya Nonganga and Sibulele Ngali joined a roadblock at the N2 tollgate on 27 March at about 23:00.

“At about 23:55 a bus was stopped and searched by police members, but Nonganga noticed suspicious people inside the bus. They looked uncomfortable in the presence of the police,” Pieterse said.

Nonganga, with the assistance of Constable Jason Kriga, asked the driver to search large bags on the bus – especially two without ownership tags.

“They asked the driver permission to search the bags. The driver went inside the bus to ask to whom the luggage belonged to. A Zimbabwean national claimed to be the owner. With his permission the bags were searched.”

During the search, cosmetics and energy boosters, with an estimated value of R80 000, were discovered.

“The owner could not give a satisfactory explanation as he had no knowledge of how the items were acquired, and did not have any proof of purchase.”

The suspect was arrested for possession of suspected stolen property.

The station commander Colonel Nolan Michaels commended the members “for a sterling job done”.