Cape Town – Three metal thieves have been sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for the theft/damage of essential infrastructure.
The convictions yesterday follow 14 arrests made within 24 hours last week during special operations in Bishop Lavis, Bontheuwel, Heideveld and Netreg, Metrorail said, where tampering with overhead electric and signal cable had a debilitating impact on trains operating to and from Chis Hani, Bishop Lavis and Kapteinsklip.
Metrorail said the investigating teams had spotted the suspects and waited until they led them to a facility where cables and rail components were stored.
The teams recovered the stolen goods and confiscated equipment, which included wrench straps, cellphones, hacksaws, a bicycle and bicycle pump allegedly used in carrying out the crimes.
Regional manager Richard Walker praised the arrests and convictions.
“The Criminal Matters Amendment Act has enabled 52 convictions since March 2018 to date in Cape courts. Another 119 cases are still pending with offenders held
in custody until their court appearances.
‘‘Our customers deserve a reliable and safe train service and we will continue to remove criminal elements within society who prevent us from doing so,” Walker said.
The public are encouraged to report crime and/or suspicious acts to the Metrorail Protection Services hotline at 021 449 4336/5056.