Police arrest car thieves using remote jamming devices in Cape Town

Thieves

Cape Town – Four suspects, aged between 25 and 33, were arrested on Tuesday, 7 January, in Muizenberg after being linked to a rising crime trend in South Africa – remote jamming.

The suspects were apprehended following an investigation into a theft from a motor vehicle in Kirstenhof, where a remote jamming device had been used to disable car locks.

Traffic officers, who were on patrol in the area, responded quickly to the incident and spotted the suspects’ vehicle, the City of Cape Town said.

After pulling it over near Sunrise Circle, officers discovered a range of stolen items, including a remote jamming device, false license plates, and tools commonly used to break into vehicles. These items, along with the reported stolen goods, led to the suspects’ arrests.

“The officers found a number of items in the vehicle, including a remote jamming device, false licence plates, implements used to break into cars and the items that had been reported stolen in the remote jamming incident.

“Four suspects aged between 25 and 33 were arrested for possession of stolen property, possession of suspected stolen property, possession of car breaking implements, fraud, remote jamming, and theft out of motor vehicle.

Remote jamming is an increasingly common crime in South Africa, where criminals use devices to interfere with car key signals, causing vehicles to remain unlocked, despite the owner believing they are securely locked. This allows thieves to steal items from cars without alerting the owner.

The arrested suspects face multiple charges, including possession of stolen property, possession of suspected stolen property, possession of car-breaking implements, fraud, remote jamming, and theft from a motor vehicle.

Investigations have revealed that the suspects may also be involved in similar crimes in other regions of the country, including Gqeberha, the City said.

The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, expressed deep concern about the rise of remote jamming as a criminal tactic.

“These incidents remind us that, while a lot of emphasis is on road safety, and curbing drunk and reckless driving, our traffic officers do so much more. I’m particularly pleased with the arrest of the remote jamming suspects. It appears that they have been engaging in criminal acts in at least one other province. I hope that the investigators are able to piece together all of their alleged misdeeds and that they are appropriately punished.

“Unfortunately, criminals have stepped up their game and remote jamming is far more commonplace than we would like. I want to appeal to motorists and their passengers to double check that their doors and boot are locked to minimise the risk of falling victim to this type of crime,” said.

Article written by