Police this week warned motorists to refrain from stopping on the N1 in De Doorns to buy grapes from criminals pretending to be vendors.

Western Cape police spokesperson Sgt Noloyiso Rwexana said motorists stopping next to the road near GG Camp, Sandhills, De Doorns, for the Hex River Valley’s fresh produce, risk being robbed of valuables such as cellphones and wallets.

She said police were investigating robbery cases resulting from these incidents. 

TimesLIVE previously reported that robberies in the area with the same modus operandi have persisted since at least 2015.

TimesLIVE quoted sources saying grapes were stolen from nearby farmlands and used as bait by the robbers. 

Signs have been placed on the side of the road warning motorists not to stop.

Trucks are also sporadically targeted going through De Doorns, which is situated on a mountain pass at the top of the Hex River Valley and is the main throughway for commercial goods trucks transporting goods from Cape Town.

On Monday night, Swellendam police found an abandoned bag on the N2 at Appelsbosch, a picnic spot next to the road, containing illegal firearms, firearm parts and ammunition.

An inquiry docket was opened for further investigation. The suspect who abandoned these items is yet to be arrested, said police.

TimesLIVE