A City of Cape Town drone tracked a fleeing smash-and-grab suspect in Elsies River, helping officers arrest five suspects.
A suspect linked to a spate of smash-and-grabs in Elsies River was tracked for 20 minutes by a City drone as he tried to flee officers during an operation that ended with five arrests.
In a statement on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the City of Cape Town said the arrests followed weeks of smash-and-grab incidents in the area.
The arrests followed an intelligence operation in which available data and CCTV footage were used to identify and profile the suspects.
SAPS initiated the operation with the City’s Law Enforcement and Metro Police departments after investigators secured warrants of arrest.
