Four suspects were arrested by City Traffic Officers in the early hours of Cape Town this morning, having been caught attempting to steal diesel from a parked truck.
The suspects were found at 04h00 siphoning diesel from a truck parked in Parow while the driver was asleep inside the vehicle. The truck driver was unharmed.
The thieves had already siphoned off approximately 125 litres of diesel by the time officers came across the scene, which was being stored in a large number of drums and pipes inside the back of the suspects’ vehicle.
The vehicle, a Toyota Quantum, had had its number plates removed.
All four suspects, men aged 26, 28, 31, and 39, have been arrested and taken to the Parow Police Station.
Dangerous incident
“While the ‘fill up and dash’ phenomenon is not new, this type of incident is something else, and was an incredibly opportunistic and dangerous thing to do,” said Mayoral Committee member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
“Even if the suspects had gotten away, traveling with large amounts of fuel in makeshift containers would have been very risky.”
The current record high prices for fuel in South Africa were cited as the most likely factor for the attempted theft.
“In light of this incident, we call on the trucking industry, but motorists in general, to please be alert at all times,” said Smith.
Road safety
In the past week Cape Town Traffic services have arrested 110 motorists – 94 of which were driving under the influence of alcohol, while another 16 were arrested for reckless and negligent driving.
Over 67,000 traffic violations have been recorded, and 159 public transport vehicles have been impounded.
“The statistics represent approximately a 50% increase in assault cases and motor vehicle accidents this past weekend, compared to the previous weekend,” said Smith.
The weekly trends reveal that the spike in incidents generally happens towards the end of the month.
“These statistics are worrisome, because not only are lives lost or put in danger, but the cost of trauma to victims, their loved ones, and society at large is immense,” he said.
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