four suspects were caught red-handed stealing diesel from a truck

 Four suspects were caught stealing diesel from a truck in Parow in the early hours of this morning. City Traffic Officers said that they are among at least 213 suspects arrested by the City’s Traffic and Law Enforcement Departments in the past week

The mayoral committee member for safety and security, Alderman JP Smith said that the suspects were caught red handed, while the truck driver was asleep in the vehicle. He said the suspects had siphoned off approximately 125 litres of diesel by the time traffic officers arrived.

SUPPLIED: CoCT

Police confiscated a large number of drums and pipes used to extract diesel and the suspects vehicle with no number plate, was impounded. The suspects, aged from 26 to 39, were arrested and taken to Parow police station where they are being held.

SUPPLIED: CoCT

'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. Even if the suspects had gotten away, travelling with large amounts of fuel in makeshift containers would have been very risky. While it's difficult to speculate on the motive, it's likely that the cost of fuel was a factor. Mercifully, the truck driver wasn't hurt. In light of this incident, we call on the trucking industry, but motorists in general, to please be alert at all times,' said Smith.

by Everngelista Muza