Chop shop discovery
A number of vehicles
outside the
homestead
Yet more stripped
body parts
Dave
Savides
A CHASE after a
stolen vehicle led
to the discovery of
a huge chop shop at
a homestead between
Empangeni and eShowe
on Tuesday.
The find revealed at
least 14 stolen
vehicles, six
chassis, hundreds of
stripped car parts
and a punch used to
stamp engine
numbers.
A Netstar recovery
team was notified of
a Toyota Hi-Lux
stolen at KwaMashu
at 7.50am.
The signal was
tracked and at
10.30am the team
swooped on the
Hlabeni homestead,
surprising six men
who were already
stripping the
vehicle.
They surrendered
without a struggle
and the eShowe SAPS
and eShowe Business
Watch were called to
the scene.
Further
investigation
revealed dozens of
number plates in a
long drop toilet and
two rondavels filled
with car parts.
A firearm,
apparently not
licensed, was also
found on the
premises and was
confiscated by
police.
The haul is one of
the biggest ever
made in Zululand and
could go a long way
to smashing one of
many lucrative car
theft rings which
use remote rural
areas as
headquarters.
Police have plenty
of evidence to
follow up and more
arrests are
expected.
