About 153 cellphones were seized by the Grahamstown police in a shop in Bathurst Street on Tuesday 25 August following a tip-off. Station commander Colonel Vuyisiwe Tembani led the multispecialist police team that went to the shop.
About 153 cellphones were seized by the Grahamstown police in a shop in Bathurst Street on Tuesday 25 August following a tip-off. Station commander Colonel Vuyisiwe Tembani led the multispecialist police team that went to the shop.
Crime Intelligence Officer Captain Milanda Coetzer said the team had gone to the shop following a tip-off from a community member.
She said the person operating the shop was trading and repairing cellphones without having applied to operate a reselling business.
Captain Coetzer said 153 cellphones were seized and that initial investigation had already determined that one brought in for repair was "linked to a robbery case in Park Road, Johannesburg in 2012".
"The other cellphones will still be checked and hopefully traced to further cases," said Coetzer.
Coetzer said an enquiry had been opened and the man would not be allowed to operate until he complied with the requirements for trading in cellphones.
Coetzer said the multidisciplinary police team that raided the shop had been established to contend with the recent spike in crime in Grahamstown.
She said It included members from all departments within the Grahamstown SAPS.
The team that went to the shop included Warrant Officers Chris Duiker, Nokanya Tweba, Sergeant Deon Peters, Melissa Maqungu and Constable Babalwa Vika.
