DURBAN – Metro Police, SAPS and BOSS-UIP Specialist Security are believed to have apprehended the suspects behind the theft of 50 steel railings from two Durban piers recently.
Metro Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad said a scrap metal business was closed down in the Point area, by the beachfront in recent days.
“A strong message must be sent to the scrap metal dealers that together with the South African Police Service and other law enforcement agencies, we will be conducting legal searches,” Sewpersad said.
“Our infrastructure is being damaged and taken to scrap metal dealers and they are not declaring. They should be declaring and they should have a register, yes they have registers but with fictitious names and you cannot trace anybody. How can you trace a vagrant that doesn’t have a fixed abode?”
Sewpersad added that they will be working very closely with security agencies in terms of the eyes and ears project in Durban and eThekwini.
“BOSS-UIP who has been hot on the trail of the suspects since the theft occurred last week, made a breakthrough (on Friday) when our security swooped on the three suspects who were caught with the Allen keys used to commit the brazen crime,” BOSS-UIP said.
“This led the authorities to raid three local scrap yards in search of the aluminium railings. While none of the aluminium was found, the Metro Police closed down one scrap yard.”
BOSS-UIP said Colonel Rajen Moodley, the station commander of the Metro Police on the beachfront and Colonel Ivan Pillay, the newly appointed head of Visible Policing at the Point SAPS and their teams were instrumental in identifying the suspects.
“The three suspects were taken in for questioning and investigations are continuing.”
BOSS-UIP owner, Raz Ali said his team had worked relentlessly to track down the suspects.
“We have recently been hired by additional private companies along the beachfront to secure their assets due to a spike in crime over the past few months. At BOSS-UIP, our security officials are trained to be proactive against crime and not merely reactive and this is what led to us identifying these suspects.
“We are now working hard to ensure that this never happens again and to make areas around the beachfront where our guards are stationed no-go zones for criminals,” Ali said.
“As a security company of choice for residents and businesses of the Durban beachfront, we are totally committed to ensure a safe environment free of crime and grime.”
BOSS-UIP added that recently the Love Durban UIP established the North Beach Security and Infrastructure Committee to clamp down on infrastructure theft and work alongside law enforcement to rid the area of crime.
SAPS had not commented by the time of publication.
After discovering the theft, municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela had said 40 railings were removed from New Pier at Wedge Beach and 10 railings were removed at North Beach Pier.
“Security was never removed from the beachfront. We have security personnel that patrol the beach daily. We also have security personnel stationed at the Point to uShaka Beach (Vusa-Isizwe Security Services),” Mayisela said.
“The matter was reported to beach management. The railings are being replaced.”
Daily News