Two men were arrested after off-duty police officers intercepted a truck carrying suspected stolen copper cable worth more than R1,8 million on the N1 on Wednesday evening 17 June.
Members of the Fezile Dabi District Infrastructure Task Team acted on intelligence about a truck transporting copper cable from Welkom. The information indicated the vehicle was expected to collect an additional consignment of copper cable from a scrapyard in Kroonstad before travelling towards Gauteng.
The officers tracked the truck and intercepted it on the N1 after it passed through the Vaal Toll Plaza. A search of the vehicle revealed large quantities of copper cable concealed inside bags in one of the truck’s containers.
The vehicle was escorted to the Sasolburg Police Station, where a comprehensive inspection uncovered a second cache of copper cable hidden beneath bags filled with crushed aluminium cans in another container.
Two men, aged 27 and 59, were arrested and face charges of tampering with and damaging essential infrastructure, possession of suspected stolen property and possession of suspected stolen copper cable.
The suspects are expected to appear in the Parys Magistrate’s Court.
Copper cable theft disrupts electricity supply, communication networks and public services whilst costing the economy millions of rand each year.
