EAST London car thieves who spoke to the Saturday Dispatch this week said it took less than 10 minutes to steal a car. White-owned cars were their biggest targets, they added.
Over 50 vehicles have been stolen in and around East London since December last year. Although suspects are being arrested, car thefts are still taking place.
According to two car thieves who mostly work the city, the CBD, Vincent Park, Hemingways and Beacon Bay are targeted areas. The two men, who are in their mid-30s, said they had both spent time in jail for car theft before.
The reason they targeted white people was to ease their consciences as they dreaded the thought of interacting with their victims in the future.
“White people don’t know us. They have never seen us and would never recognise us so we don’t care about them ,” said the one thief.
Although they personally mostly target shopping malls, the men said township cars were being stolen daily by other criminals. The stolen cars are either turned into iphela (small taxis), used for spare parts or sold in Transkei.
Tools such as electric remote control devices, allen keys and cutting torches were used to steal cars but remotes were becoming the most commonly used tool.
“We watch motorists as they lock their cars and we also press our remotes so that the process gets jammed and the cars are not locked. The remote works on any car.
“We get into the car and open the ignition part. There are three wires there and when I connect the red and yellow wires together the car starts and I know then that I have just completed a clean job,” explained the thief.
Where possible, trackers are removed and thrown away to stop them being tracked down . If they can’t find the tracker and they believe the car has one they abandon the vehicle.
The number plate, tags and the chassis and engine number are destroyed before the vehicle reaches its intended destination.
They sell the vehicles for as a little as R3000. “We usually have people who tell us what car they want so when we go to steal a car we know exactly what we are looking for,” said one thief. — /
White-owned vehicles a target
Over 50 vehicles have been stolen in and around East London since December last year. Although suspects are being arrested, car thefts are still taking place.
According to two car thieves who mostly work the city, the CBD, Vincent Park, Hemingways and Beacon Bay are targeted areas. The two men, who are in their mid-30s, said they had both spent time in jail for car theft before.
The reason they targeted white people was to ease their consciences as they dreaded the thought of interacting with their victims in the future.
“White people don’t know us. They have never seen us and would never recognise us so we don’t care about them ,” said the one thief.
Although they personally mostly target shopping malls, the men said township cars were being stolen daily by other criminals. The stolen cars are either turned into iphela (small taxis), used for spare parts or sold in Transkei.
Tools such as electric remote control devices, allen keys and cutting torches were used to steal cars but remotes were becoming the most commonly used tool.
“We watch motorists as they lock their cars and we also press our remotes so that the process gets jammed and the cars are not locked. The remote works on any car.
“We get into the car and open the ignition part. There are three wires there and when I connect the red and yellow wires together the car starts and I know then that I have just completed a clean job,” explained the thief.
Where possible, trackers are removed and thrown away to stop them being tracked down . If they can’t find the tracker and they believe the car has one they abandon the vehicle.
The number plate, tags and the chassis and engine number are destroyed before the vehicle reaches its intended destination.
They sell the vehicles for as a little as R3000. “We usually have people who tell us what car they want so when we go to steal a car we know exactly what we are looking for,” said one thief. — /
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