Nine people have been arrested for cable theft on trains in the past six says, Metrorail said yesterday.
A further two people were also arrested - one for being in possession of drugs, and the other for possessing a dangerous weapon. The latest alleged cable thief, arrested on Wednesday night, was caught red-handed stripping cables on a train carriage.
Metrorail security offer caught the suspect while he was stripping the carriage's internal wiring. This came just a few days after Metrorail announced it would send armed guards on the central line following a spate in attacks on commuters and employees.
Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott said: “Our customers cannot afford to be deprived of transport due to thieves.”
On Tuesday, two suspects were arrested while cutting ground cable between Maitland and Ndabeni. Security had arrested another five suspects for being in possession of stolen rail components near scrapyards in Belhar and Epping earlier this month.
Metrorail regional manager Richard Walker has appealed to all scrap dealers not to accept material without proof of origin.
“We will continue to arrest culprits and hand them to SAPS to process,” Scott said
Scott added that Metrorail was doing everything to reduce the number of cable thefts and limit the number of carriages taken out of service.
Metrorail offers a reward for information resulting in arrest and prosecution. Call Metrorail Protection Services hotline on 021 449 4336/5056, or police’s Crime Stop on 0860 10111 to report theft.