Pretoria – Two men, arrested and charged with the contravention of the Second Hand Goods Act and contravention of the National Environmental Act have been released on R5 000 bail each.
The duo appeared before the Randfontein Regional Court on Thursday, according to Hawks spokesperson in Gauteng, Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu.
“The additional accused and owners of P&P Commodities, Pierre Coetzer, 60, and Pieter Venter, 50, handed themselves in at the Hawks’ office in Krugersdorp (on Wednesday) where they were subsequently charged,” Mulamu said.
Their apprehension comes after an employee, Vernon Michael van der Mescht, 56, was arrested last month at the duo’s business premises, where a truck loaded with copper blisters was impounded by authorities during a multi-disciplinary operation in Randfontein.
“Authorities conducted an operation in November last year which emanated from information received on allegations that a copper manufacturing company, P&P Commodities in Randfontein was operating and melting copper without any of the second-hand goods permit, foundry/refinery licence, combustion licence or any other environmental permit or licences,” Mulamu said.
The business was successfully closed and copper operations were halted pending their approval for any valid environmental permit or licence application.
During this period, Mulamu said the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development served the accused with a non-compliance notice.
Hawks’ serious organised crime investigation in Krugersdorp received intelligence that P&P Commodities was back in business and has been in operation for about two weeks.
“On 7 February, the Hawks, Randfontein designated second-hand goods officers and the West Rand district municipality environmental department pounced on Mescht, (who was) allegedly loading copper blisters into a truck for distribution in the KwaZulu-Natal province,” Mulamu said.
She said the investigation team confiscated 42 copper blisters worth about R4.6 million for further investigation.
“Mescht was immediately arrested and released on a R5 000 bail,” Mulamu said.
“Coetzer and Venter are expected back in court on 16 March where they will be joined by co-accused, Mescht.”
IOL