Picture: Six suspects arrested for copper cable theft/Supplied
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
Six suspects were arrested for theft of copper on Thursday. It is alleged that, at approximately 3am, the Northern Cape Provincial Organized Crime Investigation Unit, received a tip-off pertaining to the theft of overhead Transnet copper cable at Dronfield, near N12 road.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Sergeant Merapelo Pilane said, en route to the scene, a maroon Toyota Yaris with six occupants aged between 30 and 50, was stopped and searched in the Kimberley CBD. Pilane said, no suspicious items were found in their possession.
“The occupants claimed to be traveling to Beaufort West. The Kimberley K9 Unit together with the Local Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management Unit were deployed to assist. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the occupants of the vehicle were suspects involved in an alleged cable theft and damage to essential infrastructure incident.
“The maroon Toyota Yaris with Gauteng registration plates was later spotted by members of the Bloemfontein K9 Unit entering Bloemfontein. The six suspects were successfully apprehended and returned to Kimberley,” he said.
Pilane further said that tools and copper cable weighing 420kg with an estimated value of R90 480 were discovered and positively identified as the property of Transnet. He added that the damage to the infrastructure is estimated at R124,000.
“The suspects, all from Daveyton in Gauteng, will appear in the Kimberley Magistrate’s soon,” said Pilane.
The Northern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant Gen Koliswa Otola, reiterated the seriousness of crimes pertaining to the damage to essential infrastructure and assured that the police will continue to bring perpetrators to book.
The Guardian 