Pietermaritzburg - Five men, including one wanted for a previous house robbery, were nabbed by a private security company, minutes before they could break into a house on Monday night.
Magma Security head Shaheen Suleiman said the Patrol Reaction Unit was patrolling the Chase Valley area on Monday night when they spotted a vehicle driving around the suburb. “The vehicle was a private meter taxi cab and the patrolling guards decided to monitor it.”
Suleiman said while the guards were monitoring the cab, it stopped outside a house in Chase Valley and four men got out.
“That is when our patrol guards acted and they caught the men and immediately called the police and the Magma Investigation Team.”
Suleiman said the men were found to be wearing three layers of clothing, which suggested they were trying to avoid being bitten by police dogs.
He said this was a technique often used by house burglars and robbers.
“In the car, tools such as screwdrivers and crow bars were found as well as balaclavas and a pair of gloves,” said Suleiman.
During questioning, the driver of the private taxi cab allegedly told the Magma Investigation team that he was often called out and “hired” by the team of burglars. The driver allegedly told Magma that the four men had been operating for “quite a while” in Balgowan, Howick, Montrose, Hilton and Lincoln Mead.
Pietermaritzburg Police spokesperson Sergeant Mthokozisi Ngobese said the five men, including the driver, were arrested by Magma Security, Townhill police and the Pietermaritzburg Dog Unit.
Ngobese said one of the men was wanted for a house robbery case in Howick. “We appreciate the job well done by Magma Security,” said Ngobese. “The Pietermaritzburg cluster commander Major-General Lucas Ngobeni encourages the partnership between security companies and police in the fight against crime,” he said.
Suleiman said the Magma Investigation team and the police were in the process of establishing whether the other men had been linked to other crimes in and around Pietermaritzburg. “I want to thank Townhill police and the Pietermaritzburg Dog Unit for their quick response and dedication to fighting crime,” said Suleiman.
“Magma prides itself on being proactive in it’s patrols, and how we operate,” he said.
