Stolen vehicle recovered, suspect arrested

OAKLANDS – A 36-year-old man was arrested after he was found in possession of a stolen vehicle in Verulam on Wednesday morning.

Tracker contacted Reaction Unit South Africa at approximately 05:28 requesting assistance to recover a blue VW Polo stolen from Phoenix during the course of last night. Reaction Officers were provided with GPS coordinates which led them to the parking lot of a lodge on Oaklands Drive in Oaklands.

The registration plates on the vehicle had been removed.
RUSA Members noticed a male and female exiting one of the rooms and confronted them. The registration plates were recovered in their room. The male was in possession of a key which started the vehicle. The ignition had been changed to accommodate the new key.

The suspect stated during an interview that he is a used car dealer. He and his wife travelled from Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape to purchase a VW Polo. He was unable to produce any documentation confirming a legitimate purchase or details of his supplier. He was placed under arrest and handed over to Police for further investigation.