Cape Town - A 21-year-old man accused of ransacking the Cape Town Islamic Education Centre and stealing electronics worth R100 000 will spend the weekend behind bars after being handed over by residents.
This followed an appeal for information after the suspect broke into the prestigious institute in Eagle Park on Tuesday night.
At the time, Shaykh Sayed Ridhwaan said that on arrival the next day at the centre, which is at Masjidul Kareem, they found the alleged thief had used a metal object and tried to break down several doors at the mosque.
“We got there at about 10am and found the person had used a crowbar or a screwdriver and damaged all the doors trying to open them.
“On the camera footage, it shows one suspect entering the property at about 1.30 that morning.”
He said after several failed attempts, the thief entered through an aluminium window and accessed the media room.
“He popped the window open and got inside, where he stole a camera, two laptops, camera lenses and a hard drive. So far we estimate the loss to be about R100 000. At this stage these are only the items we know of.
“As we are waiting for police to take fingerprints, we have not yet looked to see what else may be missing, but these stolen electronics are used to capture and record events as part of our education programmes.”
Grassy Park station commander, Colonel Dawood Laing, said on Friday that the police received a tip-off from residents, who came to the station and handed over the suspect.
“He lives in Phumlani Village and a resident knew it was him,” Laing said. “They brought him to the station and he was charged. He was found in possession of some of the stolen items and will appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.”
Ridhwaan says they are grateful for the support as various organisations helped share information which led to the arrest.
“The arrest of the suspect brings a sense of relief, and we are hopeful that the rest of the stolen items will be recovered soon. We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Pagad, Empire Security, Men in Blue, community members, and Independent Media readers for their unwavering support and information.
“As the Cape Town Islamic Educational Centre and Cape Town Ulama Board, we wish to commend Colonel Laing for his exceptional leadership and dedication in making sure we root out these criminals. His commitment to upholding the law and ensuring the safety of our streets is commendable.”