A 26-year-old Gauteng-based police officer is behind bars after he was arrested for the alleged possession of a stolen vehicle at his home.

He was arrested in an operation led by the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD).

According to EMPD spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wilfred Kgasago, a house in the Benoni area was burgled on Wednesday while the owner was asleep.

Intruders made off with a television set and other electronic appliances.

"The intruders used the victim's white Chevrolet bakkie to load the loot. Apparently, the owner had left the vehicle keys in the kitchen where the burglars had easy access to them," he said.

The victim alerted vehicle tracking company CarTrack.

Vehicle was tracked

"Together with the EMPD Brakpan precinct officer, the CarTrack personnel tracked the vehicle down to a house in Torchwood Street [in] Dalpark 06 in Brakpan. The recovered vehicle was found parked at the back of the house.

"There, a 26-year-old police officer at the house was arrested and [SA Police Service] forensics were summoned to the scene to lift fingerprints. The arrested suspect claimed that a friend had called him around 10pm and had requested him to park the Chevrolet bakkie at his place," said Kgasago.

The vehicle was taken to the SAPS pound in Van Ryn Deep in Benoni for further investigation.

Efforts to recover the stolen household goods are under way.

The suspect was detained at the Brakpan police station.

He is expected to appear in the Brakpan Magistrate's Court on Friday.