Durban - Police and private security have made a breakthrough in copper cable theft cases after they arrested a man in Georgedale, in the Mpumalanga area outside Hammarsdale on Monday.
The 29-year-old suspect was arrested for possession of copper.
Shaheen Suleiman, owner of Magma Security, said that on Monday the company received information regarding a syndicate dealing in copper.
“Operational teams followed up information and proceeded to the Georgedale area, Mpumalanga where the house of the suspect was identified by the informer. During the search numerous stripped underground Eskom cable (approximately 90kg) was recovered which led to the arrest of one suspect.”
Suleiman added that a scale and implements for processing and stripping copper cables were also recovered.
“He will be charged for possession of suspected stolen property. An additional charge may be added once the property is linked to infrastructure.”
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala confirmed the arrest of the suspect.
“We can confirm that police arrested a 29-year-old man on July 18 at 8pm after he was allegedly found in possession of suspected stolen property. The suspect was found in possession of copper cable.”
Gwala added that the suspect appeared in court on Tuesday.
In June, The Mercury reported that 15 suspects were arrested after they found in possession of several kilograms of stolen copper blister.
In that matter, Suleiman said security officers were patrolling the Swartkop Forest in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands when they saw a bakkie parked in the forest.
They came across men in the loading copper blisters, with an estimated weight of about 600kg, on to a trailer.
Police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo confirmed those arrests.