A 46-year-old South African truck driver arrested regarding the illegal possession of copper cables amounting to more than R8 million, is set to appear in the Parys Magistrates’ Court today – Monday, 10 February. Vigilant police members of the Fezile Dabi District Infrastructure Team intercepted the truck on the N1 at Vaal Plaza, Parys, on Friday, 7 February.
The driver is facing a charge of possession of stolen copper following his arrest. Sgt. Josephine Rani, spokesperson for the provincial police, said the driver failed to provide a satisfactory explanation of the copper cables, in addition to the provision of dodgy documents, leading to his arrest.
“He provided invoices and delivery notes, which indicated that the cargo should have been polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cables, weighing approximately 28, 200 kg. However, the documents made no mention of copper cables. When questioned about the discrepancy, the driver was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation,” said Rani.
She said the members intercepted the truck loaded with stolen copper cables during a routine vehicle checkpoint operation. She added that the Volvo truck with a trailer was intercepted at about 16:30.
“Upon searching the vehicle, members discovered six bags of stripped copper cables hidden beneath PVC covers and other scrap wires inside the trailer. The police in the Fezile Dabi district achieved a major breakthrough in the fight against copper cable theft. The police remain committed to clamping down on copper cable theft, which severely impacts essential infrastructure and services,” said Rani.
