Three brazen cable skelms who stole a Law Enforcement vehicle and then allegedly set it on fire are behind bars after they were caught on Wednesday.
Traffic along 35th Avenue between Bishop Lavis and Eureka Estate came to a grinding halt as motorists stopped to watch the dramatic chase unfold on a veldjie.
Law Enforcement spokesperson, Wayne Dyason, says the three men from Malawi Camp were nabbed by the Rail Enforcement Unit (REU) who caught them stealing railway cables.
“At about 4pm, officers from REU were patrolling the Malawi Camp near Uitsig when they spotted three men stripping overhead cables,” says Dyason.
“The officers got out of the vehicle and started to chase the suspects when they realised it was stolen Prasa cables.”
“The officers managed to recover the cables and put it in the bakkie and chased after the group who split up.
“They were right behind two of the suspects when the third suspect saw an opportunity and stole the vehicle.”
DISGUSTED: Mayco’s JP Smith
He says as cops continued to pursue two of the thieves on foot, the third skelm pulled up in the white Toyota double cab bakkie and gave his cohorts a lift and they escaped.
“The cables fell out of the vehicle and they drove onto a field at a high speed onto the other side of 35th Avenue,” says Dysaon.
“They jumped out and ran away, but officers again gave chase and caught all three.”
But as the group walked back to the bakkie, they found it ablaze.
“The fire did not come from the bonnet so we suspect they started the fire before they jumped out,” says Dayson.
“No officers were injured and all three suspects were taken to Ravensmead Police Station.”
SPITEFUL: Skollies set a Rail Enforcement Unit bakkie alight
He says officers also got a skrik when they returned to Malawi Camp to collect the fallen cables to find it had been stolen again.
Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, says the skelms were aspris to burn out the vehicle.
“We have 100 members across these lines who have been making good arrests and recoveries and this was spiteful, especially done so the public could see,” he says.