Thieves bust for stealing booze worth R9,000 during lockdown in Cape Town

While many South Africans stayed at home at the weekend, thieves stole alcohol worth R9,000 from a locked-up Cape Town bar.

It seems the threat of Covid-19 is not enough to keep criminals at home: delinquents also broke into a fishery and a baby store in Cape Town's city centre.

The Cape Town Central Improvement District (CCID) said on Tuesday that 16 suspects had been arrested since the weekend. Bob’s Bar, Harrington’s, Revelas Fisheries and Liny’s Baby shop were hit during the crime spree.

CCID safety and security manager Mo Hendricks described the crimes as “sporadic”. 

“In the biggest arrest, which took place on Sunday at 10.35am, seven suspects were arrested for breaking into Liny’s Baby Shop on the corner of Plein and Strand streets near Cape Town station,” said Hendricks.

“Three suspects were also arrested on Sunday for breaking into Revelas Fisheries in Long Street, with another two arrested for a house break-in on the corner of Buitengracht and Wale streets.”

Martinus Jenkins, the CCID’s public safety officer, said the “most dramatic arrest took place on Saturday when three suspects were spotted ... inside the alley next to Bob’s Bar in Constitution Street.

“Three suspects disappeared inside the premises, and the steel door was closed from the inside. Two of them then tried to escape by jumping from the top of the door but they were apprehended by CCID officers,” he said.

“The third suspect was thought to have remained inside the building. When I arrived on the scene at 6.45pm, I requested assistance from [the police] and informed the business owners of Harrington’s and Bob’s Bar respectively of the incident, so that we could search for the third suspect inside their premises.

“It was then discovered that alcohol to the value of R9,000 had been stolen from Bob’s Bar. The third suspect was never found. We believe he escaped over the rooftops and jumped down into Canterbury Street. The other suspects were arrested, and cases of theft opened against them.”

Two other suspects were arrested for being in the possessed of implements used to break into cars.

“We will not tolerate criminal activity in the CBD during the lockdown while our nation is trying to combat the coronavirus crisis,” said Hendricks.

“Criminals need to know that they will be caught and brought to book: we have 300 public safety officers working shifts 24/7, and they have been briefed and know what to look out for.”