GEORGE NEWS - A local security services officer arrested a suspected cable thief during an early-morning patrol in George last weekend, after allegedly catching the man in the act of digging for municipal cabling.
The incident took place along PW Botha Boulevard towards Steinhof, next to the power station, just after 04:00 last Saturday, 18 July.
Senior security officer Thys Dithebe of BA Protection Security was conducting a routine patrol when he noticed a suspect digging near some municipal electrical infrastructure.
According to the company's marketing manager, Petrus Grobler, the officer approached the suspect and caught him red-handed while attempting to access municipal cable. The suspect was arrested on the scene and handed over to the Conville Police.
The Southern Cape Police's spokesperson, Warrant Officer Chris Spies, confirmed that a 42-year-old suspect was taken into custody.
Grobler said the arrest demonstrates the value of visible patrols in protecting critical infrastructure. "Our officers remain committed to safeguarding municipal infrastructure and assisting law enforcement through proactive patrols and rapid response," he said.
He urges the public to report any suspicious activity around electrical substations, power lines or other municipal infrastructure to the police.
Grobler said BA Protection Security Services has apprehended numerous suspected cable thieves since the last week of April. Most of these suspects had been apprehended in the George Industrial area, near PW Botha Boulevard, where cable theft has become a persistent concern.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
