NATIONAL NEWS - Four Transnet employees are expected to appear in the Pretoria magistrate’s court for theft of copper worth approximately R1.9-million on Friday.
The four suspects are aged between 32 and 37, said police spokesperson Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu.
Mulamu said the recent arrests on copper theft allegations emanated from those affected last week in Akasia and Hercules where five suspects were apprehended.
“Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation in Pretoria conducted an intelligence driven operation that resulted in the arrests of the four men at Transnet infrastructure freight rail Koedoespoort depot in Pretoria.”
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Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, the provincial head, commended the investigation team for a swift response in ensuring that the suspects were brought to book.
“We are going to clamp down on those contributing to the high-end of the non-ferrous metals and essential infrastructure illicit value chain in our country,” said Kadwa.
This comes as five people, facing charges of possession of stolen property worth millions of rands and tampering or damaging essential infrastructure, were remanded in police custody after they appeared in the Pretoria magistrate’s court recently.
Mulamu said the men appeared in court following their respective arrests for the possession of stolen copper which was valued at an estimated R1,9-million.
“This after authorities received intelligence about suspects delivering suspected stolen copper wire to a scrapyard in Hercules.
“Police intercepted a truck fitting the description at the identified scrapyard in Hercules loaded with suspected stolen copper weighing about 3 840kg,” Mulamu said.
Police said another investigation led the investigating team to a plot in Heatherdale, north of Pretoria. There 1 840m long copper wires, also suspected to have been stolen, were recovered.
“Three suspects were brought in for questioning during a multi-disciplinary approach driven operation conducted in Pretoria where police seized copper wires and an M2000 Evolution Man truck for investigation,” Mulamu said.
Mulamu said two additional suspects handed themselves over to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, office with their legal representative.
“The duo was charged for contravention of the infrastructure act and possession of the suspected stolen property.”
