A video of a criminal stealing from a local mosque in Cape Town is going viral on social media. 

The break-in of the mosque in Strandfontein took place on Sunday, August 17. 

In the 56-second video, the suspect, dressed in a hoodie, is seen removing the cables from the audio infrastructure of Masjidul Bahr. 

The man can be seen taking his sweet time as he inspects and removes the cabling. He removes it, and rolls it up. 

The voice of the person filming the footage then reveals that the suspect had to have been inside the mosque, as the doors were closed. 

Items worth over R10,000 were stolen from the premises. 

Speaking to IOL, the chairperson of the Strandfontein Community Policing Forum (CPF), Sandy Schuter, said this crime is concerning. 

“The recent break-in at the masjid in Strandfontein, where the sound system was stolen, is concerning.  While some might think outsiders are responsible, it’s often our own residents’ children involved in these crimes, and worse, our own people buying these stolen goods,” Schuter said. 

She further asked residents to remain vigilant. 

“We’re asking people to monitor their streets and keep a lookout for suspicious activity, such as unusual movements or people carrying items in and walking out with no items. If you notice anything unusual, please report it to SAPS so we can work together to get to the bottom of this.  Let’s prevent these break-ins from becoming more frequent by reporting it to SAPS. No items have been recovered yet,” Schuter said. 

The Western Cape police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie, said a burglary case has been registered for investigation at the Strandfontein SAPS. 

“The break-in at the mosque, which took place on Sunday night, August 17, is being investigated. The incident was reported on Monday.  Preliminary reports suggest that the suspect(s) gained entrance to the premises through a window and stole sound equipment (speakers, microphones, and cabling) and a fire extinguisher to an estimated value of more than R10,000,” Pojie said. 

Police urge anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the investigating officer, Sergeant Sharon Rinquest at 079 894 1208 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111. 

robin.francke@iol.co.za

IOL

Source link