Four men were arrested on January 5, at the Transnet Driehoek warehouse, in Germiston, after they were caught red-handed, stealing two 500m spools of copper cable, at about 10.30pm.
The Germiston SAPS members, under the command of Capt Jonathan Ngwenya, received information that a group of men were planning to rob the business.
Ngwenya, from the Germiston SAPS Detective Service, arranged different role players to help the police in the operation; these included the EMPD Germiston Crime Prevention Unit and the SAPS Airwing.
All the law enforcement personnel waited for the suspects and only after they had overpowered the security guards and were busy loading the copper cables onto a truck did the officers enter the premises and bust them.
Four men, aged 36, 32, 23 and 45, were arrested.
The police found the security guards tied up and locked in a toilet cubicle.
Two firearms, a 9mm pistol and a pump-gun, as well as a toy gun, were found on the scene.
It is believed the toy gun was used to hold up the security guards.
The firearms belonged to the security company.
A blue Mercedes Benz truck was also confiscated.
The value of each 500m roll of copper cable is estimated at R170 000.
One of the security officers at the business was among the men arrested, for allegedly being the mastermind behind the robbery plan.
The four men are facing charges of armed robbery, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, as well as malicious damage to property.
WO André de Jager, spokesman for the Germiston SAPS, said: “The management of the Germiston SAPS congratulates Capt Ngwenya and all the members and EMPD officers for the successful operation and good arrests.”
