A Bethelsdorp woman was arrested this morning, June 9 after copper cables worth approximately R600 000 were found in her possession.
Police spokesperson, Col. Priscilla Naidu, said that SAPS Bethelsdorp’s designated Second Hand Goods Officer (DSO) received information of an illegal scrap yard operating in Bloem Road. The information was operationalised and this morning, a team comprising of the Nelson Mandela Bay District’s SAPS Non-Ferrous Metal officers, representatives from Transnet, Telkom, Eskom and the NMB Municipality swooped in on the residential property.
“Copper cables with a total weight of 2591kg were found inside and outside the premises. Some of the cables were identified by Transnet as belonging to them. The estimated scrap metal value of the copper is R168 415 while the replacement value is estimated to be over R600 000,” Naidu said.
“The owner of the house was arrested and detained in terms of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act and possession of suspected stolen property. She is expected to appear in court soon.
Acting Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner, Brig. Thandiswa Kupiso, commended the team for the excellent execution of the operation. “Combatting non-ferrous metals and essential infrastructure related crimes must be continuous as these crimes lead to a multitude of economic and socio-economic strains and continue to threaten key industries. The second hand goods environment is seen as a potential market for stolen goods, including the sale of non-ferrous metals. Operations such as this will be continuous and those responsible will be harshly dealt with,” Kupiso said.
