Police uncover Umlazi chop shop

Police recently discovered a chop shop in Umlazi, which they say contain parts from Volkswagens’ registered in and around Durban. On Tuesday, the eThekwini District Task Team conducted an intelligence-driven operation at Umlazi’s N-Section.

Provincial police spokesperson, Lt Col Paul Magwaza, explained that crime intelligence officers had been hard at work to source information regarding a number of Volkswagen vehicles which were either stolen or hijacked in Durban and surrounding areas such as Sydenham, Berea, Umbilo, Hillcrest, and Pinetown.

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“Their many hours of hard work put in by the officers proved fruitful as information received from a chop shop at N-Section was verified and certified to be truthful. The intelligence received was then operationalised, and officers pounced at the targeted address. Initial investigations at the premises revealed that the property was rented out to tenants. The individual, who was the subject of interest for the police during this operation, was not in his rented room when police pounced. Upon the subsequent search, police found a large amount of suspected stolen vehicle parts, including door panels for VW Polos, dashboards, suspensions, bumpers, pedals, steering wheels, and side and rear mirrors. A further search led to the recovery of an engine which belonged to a vehicle which was reported stolen in Pinetown in November 2024. Other vehicle engines which were found during this operation have been tampered with. A set of number plates in the premises also came up as belonging to a vehicle stolen in the Berea policing precinct in September 2024,” said Lt Col Magwaza.

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On-scene investigations also pointed to the possibility that the suspected person in this matter was conducting vehicle parts sales in the rented premises.

All the vehicle parts were seized for further investigations, and the search for the suspect is underway.