Highway, Berea car theft spike leads police to uMlazi chop shop
Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza said the discovery of the chop shop at N Section in uMlazi came as a result of SAPS crime intelligence officers 'working hard to source information regarding a number of Volkswagen vehicles which were either stolen or hijacked in Durban and surrounding areas such as Sydenham, Berea, Umbilo, Hillcrest and Pinetown'.
Magwaza said the discovery of the chop shop on Tuesday, July 8, followed an intelligence-driven operation at uMlazi N Section conducted by the eThekwini District Task Team.
'The many hours of hard work put in by members proved fruitful as information received of a chop shop at Umlazi 'N' section was verified and certified to be truthful.
Also read: Polo Pinetown's prime target
'The intelligence received was then operationalised and members pounced at the targeted address at uMlazi. Initial investigation at the premises revealed that the property is rented out to tenants. The individual who was the subject of interest for the police during this operation was not in his rented room when police pounced.
'Upon the subsequent search, police found a large amount of suspected stolen vehicle parts, including door panels for VW Polos, dashboards, suspensions, bumpers, pedals, steering wheels, side and rear mirrors.
'Further search led to the recovery of an engine which belonged to a vehicle which was reported stolen in Pinetown during the month of November in 2024. Other vehicle engines checked during this operation were found to have been tampered with. A set of number plates in the premises also came up as belonging to a vehicle stolen in the Berea policing precinct in September of 2024.
'On-scene investigations pointed to the possibility that the suspected person in this matter was conducting vehicle parts sales in the rented premises. All the suspected vehicle parts were seized for further investigations and the search for the suspect is underway,' said Magwaza.
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