A COMBINED force of representatives from the container industry and detectives from Customs and Excise and the Isando Truck Theft Hijack Unit has made important breakthroughs against a container theft syndicate which cost the country more than R70-m during the first six months of this year.
This joint operation was launched five months ago against the syndicate involved in truck hijacks, insurance and customs fraud and container pilferage.
The project, which has been hailed as an example of successful co-operation between the police service and big business, started in May when the Rennies Group decided to supply finance and manpower in order to put a stop to the container theft around the City Deep terminal. A week later CX, Transnet and the Mediterranean Shipping Company joined the project.
Prior to the start of the project, as many as three containers a day were affected by syndicate activities, according to a source within the project.
Since the start of the operation, none of the companies involved in the project has suffered any cargo thefts, as every attempt has been foiled, according to the source. Internal security was also stepped up as the modus operandi of the syndicate became known, which further helped to reduce losses in the industry.
Supt. Marius Nel was recently appointed Special Unit Commander of the Kazerne Truck Theft Unit. The future of policing in containerisation has entered a new era. Criminals now have to deal with a close-knit and dedicated team consisting of business representatives, Isando Truck Hijack Unit and the new management at Kazerne Truck Theft Unit, says the business project leader.
We invested R1-m and have had the support of about 3000 people over a period of five months. Yet we have never had to make any payment for information.
Our workers, who were scared to go to the police, were more willing to trust us with information. Theft syndicates are structured like big business, therefore big business is well equipped to take them on, says the spokesperson.
We have however, during the course of the project, learnt to entrust our lives - which were threatened at times - to the able members of the Isando Truck Hijack and Priority Crime Unit. In future every container operator participating in the anti-syndicate project will employ his own risk manager.
Appointments have already been made in Saftainer/Roadwing, CX-Transnet, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Container Logistics and Cross Country Containers.
A satellite traffic office is to be established and two officers will be seconded to assist with the project while providing traffic services as well as combating crime.
Supt Nel was detective commander of Honeydew for four years before becoming the new commander of the Truck Theft Unit at Kazerne. Prior to that he worked in the Krugersdorp narcotic bureau and in Walvis Bay.
