By Everson Luhanga
- Five undocumented foreign nationals arrested with R3-million worth of stolen Transnet copper cable at De Deur scrapyard.
- Police found homemade stoves used to burn cable and discovered the scrapyard was not licensed for second-hand goods.
Police in Gauteng have arrested five people after they were caught with stolen copper cable worth about R3-million.
The suspects were arrested during a raid at an illegal scrapyard in De Deur on Wednesday. Officers also found homemade stoves used to burn the cable.
Gauteng provincial police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the operation followed intelligence about stolen infrastructure.
It was carried out by the Sedibeng Infrastructure Unit, Gauteng Traffic Wardens and private security.
“The team discovered large quantities of copper cable,” said Nevhuhulwi. “Five suspects were arrested and the copper was positively identified by Transnet as their property.”
Nevhuhulwi confirmed that the suspects are undocumented foreign nationals.
The copper theft crisis has cost Transnet and Eskom millions of rands in damages over the years.
Criminals often target railway lines, electricity cables and other vital infrastructure. They burn or strip it before selling it to scrapyards.
Police say the De Deur scrapyard was not licensed to deal in second-hand goods.
The recovery of the stolen copper adds to recent efforts by law enforcement to clamp down on illegal scrap dealing in the province.
Copper theft has become a major problem across South Africa. It causes power cuts, disrupts train services and costs taxpayers millions of rands to repair.
The homemade stoves found at the scrapyard show how criminals process the stolen cable before selling it on.
All five suspects are expected to appear in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court soon.
They face charges of possession of stolen infrastructure, dealing in second-hand goods without a licence, and breaking immigration laws.
Pictured above: The stolen copper.
Image source: Supplied
