Paarl police officers caught what they thought was just a regular wheelie-dustbin thief on Friday. Further inspection, however, revealed stolen copper cables in the bin.
Police spokesperson Capt Louise du Plessis said Christopher Louw (30) was found in possession of a stolen wheelie bin in Northern Paarl on Friday (24 June) at 15:40.
“The contents of the bin turned out to be copper cables, and the suspect was also found in possession of tik. This discovery was made in an effort to curb the theft of wheelie bins and other crimes on those infamous bin days.”
The suspect has been remanded into custody until 4 July.
A similar incident led to the appearance of a 29-year-old suspect, Simphiwe Mxhamli, in the Paarl Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
“The suspect was caught with 25 metres of stolen copper cables on Saturday by patrolling police officers in Meul Street,” Du Plessis added. The suspect has been remanded into custody until 11 July.
“Members of the public are urged to mark their dustbins or record the serial number provided on the bins to identify them at the police station if they have been found.”
