Several high-end motorbikes worth more than R5m have been swiped across the Bay by what police suspect is a syndicate smuggling bikes out of the country.
Since January 2019 about 25 motorbikes and scooters have been stolen, some from behind locked garages and gates.
According to police, over the past three months more than 10 bikes and two jetskis have been stolen in the Bay alone.
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the gang seemed to have gone underground for months before resurfacing in November.
The latest incident was on Tuesday when a motorbike was stolen from a house in Pelican Road, Greenshields Park, by the thieves who removed parts of the vibracrete perimeter wall.
“The owner woke up in the morning and the wall was broken and the bike was gone,” she said.
A short while later another bike was stolen from business premises in nearby Villiers Road in Walmer.
“The suspects had lifted the gate off its hinges and wheeled the bike away. The alarm did trigger but the suspects still managed to escape with the bike,” Naidu added.
“Over the past month, we have seen an increase in these thefts.
“Since January 2019, we have seen over 25 motorbikes and scooter stolen in the Bay. Most of these are your high-end and adventure bikes. These are generally more expensive motorbikes,” she said.
“We suspect the gangs are using cloned license plates and fraudulent paperwork to move the bikes out of the Bay undetected. These are then smuggled across the border, mostly into Mozambique, under the pretence that they are legitimate.”
In another incident, Naidu said there had been a report of a thief contacting a home owner and claiming to be from a vehicle dealership.
“In this case, the caller contacted the owner claiming he was from the dealership and that a Mercedes Benz worth almost R2m needed to be returned for a fault with the model. Luckily the owner requested the person to put it in writing and then contacted the dealership where he realised that it was a con,” she said.
“This is a common tactic in Gauteng and the suspects will then send a person claiming to be a driver. They then leave and do not return.”
High-end motorbikes and scooters targeted in Bay
Image: Supplied
Several high-end motorbikes worth more than R5m have been swiped across the Bay by what police suspect is a syndicate smuggling bikes out of the country.
Since January 2019 about 25 motorbikes and scooters have been stolen, some from behind locked garages and gates.
According to police, over the past three months more than 10 bikes and two jetskis have been stolen in the Bay alone.
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the gang seemed to have gone underground for months before resurfacing in November.
The latest incident was on Tuesday when a motorbike was stolen from a house in Pelican Road, Greenshields Park, by the thieves who removed parts of the vibracrete perimeter wall.
“The owner woke up in the morning and the wall was broken and the bike was gone,” she said.
A short while later another bike was stolen from business premises in nearby Villiers Road in Walmer.
“The suspects had lifted the gate off its hinges and wheeled the bike away. The alarm did trigger but the suspects still managed to escape with the bike,” Naidu added.
“Over the past month, we have seen an increase in these thefts.
“Since January 2019, we have seen over 25 motorbikes and scooter stolen in the Bay. Most of these are your high-end and adventure bikes. These are generally more expensive motorbikes,” she said.
“We suspect the gangs are using cloned license plates and fraudulent paperwork to move the bikes out of the Bay undetected. These are then smuggled across the border, mostly into Mozambique, under the pretence that they are legitimate.”
In another incident, Naidu said there had been a report of a thief contacting a home owner and claiming to be from a vehicle dealership.
“In this case, the caller contacted the owner claiming he was from the dealership and that a Mercedes Benz worth almost R2m needed to be returned for a fault with the model. Luckily the owner requested the person to put it in writing and then contacted the dealership where he realised that it was a con,” she said.
“This is a common tactic in Gauteng and the suspects will then send a person claiming to be a driver. They then leave and do not return.”
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