Bellville police arrested three suspected mag wheel thieves following an undercover operation.
The crime has been rife in Oakdale, Chrismar, Blomtuin and De La Haye in the past two months, according to police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Henrietta van Niekerk.
Officers went undercover and staked out the area for several days to catch the thieves. Then video footage showed a red Hyundai Getz leaving one of the crime scenes. Police spotted the same car again on Friday July 21 but it vanished before they could pursue it.
But two hours later, on the same day, officers struck it lucky after pulling over a white Golf with the three suspects.
“Tools related to removing mag wheels as well as stolen mag wheels were found in their possession. The suspects had used the red Getz to enter these areas and the white Golf to leave.”
The three men, aged between 30 and 50 and all from Delft, were arrested.