Suspected stolen truck tyres seized by police

Three men were arrested on Monday after truck tyres valued at nearly R800,000 were recovered during two separate police operations.

Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said that at about 3am on Monday, anti-gang unit members were in Addo Road, Motherwell, when they noticed a blue Toyota Condor driving towards them with its lights off.

Naidu said as the vehicle approached the police car, the driver of the vehicle switched on the lights.

The Condor was stopped and upon searching the trailer attached to the vehicle, 10 brand new truck tyres valued at R9,500 each were found.

According to Naidu, the driver and his two passengers, aged between 30 and 35, were arrested and charged with possession of suspected stolen property.

The tyres are suspected of being part of a consignment of 290 truck tyres, valued at R1.5m, which went missing from a business in Markman at the weekend.

“The manager of a business in Markman was notified that a trailer with 290 truck tyres parked on the premises on Friday was no longer on the premises [and] a case of theft was opened at SAPS Swartkops,” Naidu said. 

According to Naidu, at about 9pm on Monday a detective-sergeant from Motherwell SAPS received information about a load of truck tyres at a house in Rose Lane, NU11. 

A police team seized 73 tyres from a room and the garage of the house.

Naidu said the house belonged to the driver of the Toyota Condor who was arrested earlier in the morning.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga said the arrests and recoveries were a huge success.

“Businesses are losing millions of revenue through theft and break-ins at their premises.

“The SA Police Service is warning those people who are buying suspected stolen property through their ‘back doors’, that they will also be prosecuted if found in possession of such property

,” Ntshinga said.