Stolen fuel bank cards recovered
Local police continued to have success in their efforts to curb illicit activities when they recently confiscated thousands of rands’ worth of fuel along with stolen bank cards in Sedgefield.
According to Southern Cape police spokesperson Sgt Chris Spies, the Knysna Crime Prevention Unit was alerted about possible illicit activities involving a Toyota Quantum minibus taxi, with a George registration number, at a petrol station in Knysna on Sunday 12 September.
When they arrived at the station the vehicle had already left, but they proceeded with a search for the vehicle.
“It was later tracked down and stopped with assistance from a provincial traffic official at Sedgefield,” said Spies. Police searched the vehicle and found 13 plastic 25-litre containers filled with petrol on board, valued at approximately R5 600.
“A further search led to the discovery of five fuel and oil cards of various banks stashed under a seat of the vehicle,” he said.
The occupants of the vehicle could not account for their possession of the items and were arrested on charges of possession of suspected stolen property and fraud. “Preliminary investigation indicates that the suspects are from Thembalethu in George. They allegedly used these cards to purchase fuel at the filling station. The origin of the fuel cards forms part of an ongoing police probe,” Spies said.
The trio, a 35-year-old driver and two passengers (both 23), remain in custody and will appear in court once charged.
Champagne
Three days earlier, at about 16:30 on Thursday 9 September, three women were arrested on charges of possession of suspected stolen property. According to Spies, the aforementioned team, acting on a tip-off about suspected illicit activities, stopped a silver Volkswagen Polo that was en route to Cape Town, on the N2 at the turnoff to Buffalo Bay.
“A search of the vehicle resulted in the confiscation of 16 high-class bottles of champagne as well as a handbag, believed to be used to hide stolen items. The police arrested the occupants, all from the Cape metropolis, on a charge of suspected stolen property each,” Spies said.
Some of the items were later positively linked to a local bottle store. The suspects, aged between 24 and 45, remain in custody. They are expected to make a court appearance in the Knysna Magistrate’s Court this week.
Some of the confiscated bottles of champagne.
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