South Africa – With his tattoos hidden under a smart button-up shirt, a skullcap on his head and a cellphone glued to his ear, the burglar they call “Jingles” snooped around unnoticed in some of greater Johannesburg’s wealthiest complexes.
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Once satisfied that the targeted house was empty, he broke in and went straight for the posh items: Montblanc pens, Dunhill lighters, Rolex watches, gold coins and all the foreign currency he could find.
Driving a VW Touran or a BMW X5, Jingles struck in Morningside, River Club, Sunninghill, Atholl, Oaklands, Orchards and Linksfield, escaping with loot worth up to R500 000 in a single break-in.
He targeted Jewish households, and had such detailed information that a family leaving their home for just two hours on a Sunday could fall victim to his expert intrusion.
Because of his Mediterranean complexion, Jingles could pass off as an Israeli and raised no alarm with his presence.
Now, after a brief hunt, police arrested the man they believe to be behind a series of burglaries dating back as far as 2007.
Joao Martins, a 42-year-old father-of-two, has been charged with four break-ins and is due to make his next court appearance in mid-April. He was released on R30 000 bail from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court last week.
The Star asked him for comment on Monday, but, speaking through his wife Natasha, he declined.
The Sandton detectives’ robbery reaction unit began investigating the spate of burglaries in early February and built up their suspect’s modus operandi.
They discovered that a car would pull up to the complex gate and wait while he slipped inside and cased out a specific unit. Sometimes he rang the door bell to check whether anyone was home.
Then, within minutes, he broke into the house and emerged with a sack full of stolen items. If heavier items need to be carried, one of his accomplices would help.
He often worked with two assistants and kept in touch with them via cellphone.
During a burglary last month, a victim allegedly confused one of the burglars with someone who would help catch the crooks, and watched as the man picked up the others and drove away.
When Martins was arrested on the night of February 26, police seized a large amount of luxury items – which have apparently been identified by the victims – as well as an array of foreign currency from the US, France, China, Israel, South Korea, Canada, Botswana, Singapore and various other countries. Detectives hope to link him to at least 10 cases.
The head of detectives at the Sandton police station, Senior Superintendent Guy Kilian, congratulated the arresting officers.
“This unit is very capable. They are highly experienced detectives who have given the robbers and burglars in the area a knock,” he said. “We are hoping to make more arrests.”
Martins was arrested at his home in Kensington and is expected to claim he was a victim of identity theft – with criminals cloning his car’s registration. As per his bail condition, he is reporting weekly at his local police station.
The Sandton detectives are convinced the burglar is part of a larger crime networ