NELSON MANDELA BAY – Law enforcement officers made major discoveries during a crime prevention operation, uncovering 16 petrol bombs and several hijacked vehicles, including one stolen six years ago in Cape Town.
On Friday 5 September, police found 16 petrol bombs hidden under a canopy near a recovered bakkie in Kamvelihle (Ward 53). Forensic specialists were called to the scene at 23:00 to carefully collect and secure the dangerous materials in forensic bags for detailed analysis and investigation.
“Police believe that these improvised explosive devices are directly linked to the recent spate of truck burnings at Addo Road,” the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Metro Police said in a statement.
“It is important to ensure that criminals and other offenders are harshly targeted by police so that the perpetrators can respect the law, thus creating safer communities in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality,”
The joint operation between Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Metro Police and SAPS also yielded significant vehicle recovery results. Officers discovered a stripped Toyota Avanza among two vehicles parked at a neglected premises – a vehicle that had been reported stolen in Gugulethu, Cape Town, as far back as 2019.
Additional vehicle recoveries included a hijacked car found at Nomakanjani Informal Settlement and another vehicle recovered at the scene where it had been hijacked.
The police operation targeted crime hotspots in New Brighton, Kwazakhele, Nelson Mandela Bay Metro beaches, Motherwell and M17 Corobrick as part of a coordinated crime prevention patrol.
