A 28-year-old man has been arrested in Westville after a luxury vehicle was stolen at King Shaka International Airport several days ago, marking the second incident targeting airport travellers in South Africa this week.
The arrest comes just days after four suspects were nabbed for hijacking a woman in the parking area at Cape Town International Airport.
Police tracked down the Durban suspect to a private property in Westville on Thursday, where they found two high-end vehicles – a Toyota and a BMW.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said officers from the Border Policing Reaction Team and detectives from King Shaka International Airport worked together on the case.
Stolen car traced to Westville
“They followed up on information received following the theft of a motor vehicle at the airport. The information led the team to an identified address in Westville, where the suspect was apprehended,” Van Wyk said.
During the search, officers discovered that one vehicle had been reported stolen, while the second car was linked to a theft case reported at Midrand Police Station in Gauteng earlier this year.
Van Wyk said the arrest has exposed the workings of a car theft syndicate that uses fake documents. Officers found that fraudulent papers were presented to a motor vehicle dealership to buy one of the vehicles.
Fraudulent documents used
“Investigations are ongoing to determine whether the suspect may be linked to a car theft syndicate,” she said.
The suspect faces a charge of possession of suspected stolen property and is expected to appear before the Durban Magistrates’ Court soon.
The arrest highlights growing concerns about crimes targeting travellers at South African airports. The Cape Town hijacking incident saw suspects steal a woman’s vehicle and cellphone in the airport parking area, but they were quickly caught after police traced the stolen phone.
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