Port Elizabeth police dog Max nabs two cable theft suspects - again

Two cable theft suspects were caught while allegedly trying to outrun a police dog who chased after them during an operation in Bethesldorp on Tuesday afternoon.

The operation was sparked following reports from the municipal security services of cable and infrastructure theft in the area over the past two weeks.

According to police, damage to the tune of R300,000 was incurred at the electricity infrastructure in the bushes near Rensburg Street in Bethelsdorp.

Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the police airwing and K9 units had been mobilised as part of an operation to net the suspects.

“The helicopter was in the air when they spotted the two suspects digging a trench and pulling the cable. The suspects then fled and hid between the bushes surrounding the area,” she said.

“Ground units were mobilised to pursue the suspects while the police helicopter guided the ground units.”

At the time, police dog Max, a three-year-old German shepherd, and his handler Sergeant Adriaan Oosthuizen were in the helicopter.

“The two were dropped in the bush to give pursuit. A chase ensued and several warning for the suspects to stop was ignored. Max tackled the first suspect leading to his arrest and then went after the second suspect.”

Naidu said the two suspects were arrested within minutes.

“Near the trench, equipment used to take out the cable out of the ground was found as well as a bag that had pieces of cutup cable found inside the bad,” she said.

In June, Max and Oosthuizen arrested five people, including two minors, while allegedly stripping parts off a stolen car next to Van Duuren Street in Gelvandale.

In May, the same team apprehended three suspects trying to strip copper from a municipal power station in Sydenham.

The trio had broken into the municipal electricity depot in Lawson Street, Sydenham, when the municipality noticed a spike in electricity surges on the power gird.

The three were caught inside the power station after attempting to hide from Max.

The estimated damage to the infrastructure is about R150,000.

Earlier in 2019, Max - a three-year-old German shepherd patrol and explosive detection dog - and Oosthuizen won a national police award for their fight against crime after arresting 100 criminals.

The suspects, aged between 20 and 30 years, will appear in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate's Court on Thursday for damage to essential infrastructure and theft.