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A total of seven people have been arrested as police continue to search for more stolen items and suspects following a looting spree on Thursday on two trucks in De Doorns, in the Cape Winelands District, according to Western Cape police.
News24 reported that the trucks were forced to stop on the N1 highway in the Western Cape Winelands town due to protest action. Videos, which have been widely circulated, show a group of people crowding around the trucks to grab goods through the tarpaulin.
Provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana said on Thursday evening, "so far, seven people aged between 25 and 56 have been arrested for theft". Those arrested include six men and one woman.
"Police retrieved some of the stolen property and they are searching for more," said Rwexana.
Door-to-door search
Police detectives also embarked on a door-to-door search in the area to recover some of the looted items.
It is believed the trucks were caught in the middle of a community protest in the area, but Breede Valley Municipality mayoral committee member for safety and security, Juben von Willingh, told News24 that they were not sure why the protest action was taking place.
"No one has come forward with demands," Von Willingh told News24 on Thursday.
One of the trucks belonged to the Buonadonna Group, who spoke to News24 on Thursday saying their truck had been stripped bare: "They took everything. All the smart televisions, and they also started vandalising the truck," said Amica Buonadonna.
Batteries were stripped, so too were fuse boxes, cameras and electronics.
