An infamous alleged petrol thief who has been filling up his tank and dashing before paying was nabbed this week in Plumstead.
Police were hot on the heels of a man in a black Ford Fiesta who allegedly filled up his tank with R800 worth of petrol on Sunday in Gatesville, Athlone, and left without paying.
He allegedly did the same in Goodwood at Engen Simon’s Auto Centre last week, where he filled his vehicle with R500 petrol and left without paying.
The suspect is believed to be linked to multiple cases in Goodwood, Lansdowne, Woodstock, and Athlone.
On Tuesday, in a joint operation between Diep River police and Secu Watch Protection, the man was apprehended at approximately 10:04pm with Tik and Mandrax allegedly in his vehicle.
A member of the Secu Watch Protection said the driver was frequent in the area and using ANPR technology, the vehicle was quickly picked up, tracked, and quietly monitored.
“He triggered one of our ANPR cameras, which is how we found out he is a regular in the area. We followed up with the petrol stations to get case numbers for him, as we knew who he was due to him being a regular in the area.
"When he triggered those cameras, we already had Saps standing by waiting for his arrival. When we caught him, he begged and pleaded that we let him go and that he won’t do it again, but we found drugs in his vehicle," the member explained.
Police spokesperson Thembakazi Mpendukana confirmed that a 36-year-old man was arrested by Diep River police for possession of drugs, and the suspect has made his first court appearance.
Cape Times
