CAPE TOWN – In what appears to be a sign of the times, petrol prices make even small quantities worth stealing, two men made off with approximately R700 worth of fuel in its tank from a Brackenfell petrol station before being swiftly apprehended by security officers.
Brackenfell-based SJC Armed Response was alerted to the fuel theft at approximately 11:12 yesterday after a white vehicle fled the filling station without paying.
The suspects were arrested within minutes following a coordinated response that revealed they had swapped number plates to avoid detection, according to SJC Security.
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Stolen number plates
An SJC officer, who had just passed the suspect vehicle moments earlier, immediately initiated a coordinated response with additional armed response units. Using real-time information, security teams conducted a search in the surrounding Bellville area and successfully located the vehicle within minutes.
Upon realising they were being followed, the suspects pulled over, with the driver subsequently admitting to the theft on scene. Both men were detained and transported back to the petrol station where police arrived and effected the arrests.
Investigation revealed that the number plates used by the suspects had been reported stolen earlier from the Haasendal Gables area, linking the pair to additional criminal activity beyond the fuel theft.
