Jamming theft rising in Cape Town's CBD

2013-03-12 08:45

(File) (Shutterstock)

Cape Town - Police in Cape Town's CBD have warned that there has been an increase in the number of criminals who jam the alarms of car owners in the city centre.

The criminals block the cars’ central locking signals with a special electronic device, reported the Cape Times.

The Central City Improvement District (CCID) said the trend was becoming so common that an average of 10 criminals were arrested per month for this crime.

The men watched motorists parking their cars and when they activated their central locking, pressed their device, which blocked the signal of the car’s remote control.

While the owner thought his car was locked, it was in fact unlocked, and criminals could get into the car and steal what they want.

“People often look away or activate their alarm while walking away and they don’t notice that the car hasn’t been locked. The alarm lights will go off but people need to check that doors are locked or use the keys to close their cars,” said Muneeb Hendricks of the CCID.

Alarm jamming has been reported in other big cities around the country, but started in Cape Town in October, said Hendricks.

- News24