Certificates of excellence celebrate Douglasdale police dismantling of housebreaking ring
This victory has been formally recognised with certificates of excellence awarded to key members of the team.
Brigadier Veeshani Arikum, station commander at Douglasdale Police Station, confirmed that the breakthrough was the result of a strong collaboration between law enforcement and private security companies. 'Back in 2021, we noticed a sharp rise in housebreakings around Dainfern. Through co-ordinated efforts with local security companies, we managed to identify two suspects, and within a week of intensified operations, we had the first suspect in custody.'
She said the initial arrest was of a man who had been transporting one of the suspects. 'A search of his vehicle uncovered stolen property, leading to his conviction. He was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and will be deported after serving his term.'
Also read: Support and sobering crime stats welcome new district police commissioner
Arikum said the second, more prolific, suspect, was arrested in October 2022. She said he later pleaded guilty to over 30 counts of housebreaking, and was also handed a 15-year sentence, declared unfit to possess a firearm, and marked for deportation once his sentence is complete.
The officers involved in the case were honoured with certificates acknowledging their role in dismantling the housebreaking syndicate.
Among those recognised was Sergeant Charity Maswanganyi, who expressed pride in the achievement. 'I'm very happy about the certificate. It shows that I'm making an impact, but it's not just me, this success came from teamwork. With support from Arikum and the Fourways community, we brought criminals to justice. It proves that when the community works with us, we can do so much more.'
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