Smart cops bust R5.7m car theft
Municipality officials ‘knew about the scam’
A clever action by police has bust a luxury vehicle theft ring involving eight brand new VW Amarok bakkies.
The vehicles were stolen from a VW dealership in Pretoria via fake documents and were kept at Ephraim Mogale municipality’s fleet storage.
The Limpopo municipality’s head office is in Marble Hall.
The vehicles, worth R5.7million, were stored for a few days at the storage after the municipality was allegedly approached by men claiming to be employees of the Department of Water and Sanitation.
According to a source close to police investigations, the men allegedly sent a letter using the department’s letterhead to the municipality’s fleet manager requesting storage.
“In a letter, they stated that the department will be doing projects in the area and needed storage for its vehicles.
“But, we have also discovered that some officials in the municipality knew something about the stolen vehicles and we are investigating them.
“Our preliminary investigation has revealed some officials have been in contact with some of the arrested men.”
Police arrested three men – Katlego Mahlatse, Gerald Dube and Brian Ncube – last week and charged them with fraud and possession of a suspected stolen vehicles.
The trio were arrested while driving three of the eight vehicles in Kempton Park at night.
They appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court and the matter was postponed to Monday for a formal bail application.
Ekurhuleni North cluster commander Brigadier Vincent Leshabane said the three were arrested after police spotted a convoy of brand new vehicles in Kempton Park.
“Our police approached the men and they failed to provide satisfactory information where they got the vehicles and were arrested.
“Then, further investigation led us to Marble Hall where we discovered five more brand new vehicles at the municipality,” he said.
Leshabane said the men submitted fraudulent documents to the car dealership and didn’t pay a cent.
Sowetan understands that a senior manager from the municipality has provided a statement to the police.
The crime alert issued at the time stated that the vehicles, all white, were not registered and had no tracking units fitted.
Municipality spokesman Jan Phasha confirmed the incident and said the men had produced legit papers.
“[We had] deemed their request relevant and there was no suspicion the vehicles were stolen. It was an error on our part [not to] verify with the department,” Phasha said.
Department spokesman Sputnik Ratau said they did not have the alleged relationship with municipalities.
‘‘ It was an error on our part not to verify with the department