22 Jan 2017

Police in Kanye have expressed concern at the increase of shoplifting cases at Mongala Mall and other shopping complexes in Kanye.

The station commander Superintendent Mmoloki Mogale appealed to shop assistants to be alert all the time saying there was a group of criminals who have organised themselves to steal in shopping complexes.

He said the trend started last December and was rife around shopping complexes.

The appeal comes after Pep Store attendants caught three men aged 34, 27 and 25 years stealing 14 pairs of ladies and children’ s shoes recently.

He said the culprits are both residents of Moshupa and were using Nissan March motorcar. “Other pairs of shoes were found hidden in the boot of the Nissan March after a police search while others were found concealed under the clothes which they were wearing as they tried to leave the shop,” he said.

He said the culprits are in police custody in Kanye while police investigations are still on-going.

He said although shoplifting is often perceived as an “ordinary crime” due to its supposed victimless nature, its effects of loss in any business enterprise was high.

Superintendent Mogale said such criminals usually targeted chain shops to steal clothes during and after the festive holidays because they want to sell them at a giveaway price.

He also said they have arrested a 32-year-old man near CEDA offices in Kanye after cheating some people by obtaining their cell phones.

He said the culprit went around the shops play-acting to conduct photo taking and video shooting for business.

However one school boy who was among the victims managed to identify him the following day and he was arrested.

He urged Kanye residents that community policing was very critical in bringing those caught on the wrong side of the law to book and ensuring justice is done. BOPA