�Snatch and grab� thugs besiege Mahalapye

Koketso Kgoboge | Tuesday January 23, 2018 17:00

 

Close to 50 cases of snatch and grab have been recorded in Mahalapye since the beginning of the year and they all happened in the vicinity of the old mall.

The crime is committed by youth of ages ranging from 17 to 22 years. Mahalapye police said the thugs target and attack vulnerable members of the society, particularly women and girls.

Thus far 12 young men have been arrested for the crime and appeared before the customary court.  Four boys are already serving two-year prison sentences for the crime.  Most of the thugs are said to be repeat offenders who are mostly out on bail.

Mahalapye Police station commander, superintendent Isaac Mamadi said the problem persists despite countless efforts to arrest the situation.  He said most of the goods belonging to the victims of the crime have been recovered from the thugs.

He said most of the thugs are drug and alcohol users who steal from innocent people to feed their habits.

“We have spotted their escape routes and the peak times they commit the crimes and we have strategically positioned ourselves to deal with them.”

“While we continue to fight this crime we encourage the public to help us by remaining vigilant at all times when they are around the old mall, together we can put a stop to this matter,” he said.

Meanwhile, a 40-year-old woman lost her life in a road mishap when the Corolla she was travelling in collided with an Isuzu in Machaneng at the Mahalapye A1 turn off.

According to police investigations it is suspected that the driver of the Corolla that was coming from the east joined the A1 road without proper observation and the Isuzu that was driving from North to South hit the side of the Corolla.

The woman, a passenger in the Corolla, was certified dead upon arrival at the Mahalapye District Hospital, while the driver and another passenger from the same vehicle escaped with only bruises.  The driver of the Isuzu Bakkie escaped unscathed.