FOUR suspects arrested in connection with the theft of over R2m worth of copper cables from a business on Compound Road made their first court appearances on Tuesday at the Durban Magistrate’s Court.

The suspects had loaded a shipping container containing the cables onto the back of a getaway truck from the company on Thursday (April 2).

Investigations from the Bellair SAPS Trio Crimes Unit, the Chatsworth SAPS tracing team and Warrant Officer Vuyani Nomvalo, the lead investigator on the case, led to the arrests of the four suspects two days later, on April 4.

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Spokesperson for the police station, Sergeant Simangele Mseleku, commended the officers on the arrests, saying investigations were ongoing.

“The suspects arrived using their own truck and trailer and actually used a crane located in the business to load the shipping container with the bales of copper cables inside of them. The cameras were also switched off during the theft. After meeting with the business owner our investigations led officers to several suspects, two of whom were arrested in Amanzimtoti, and one of whom was arrested near the business. Further intelligence also led police to a property in Chatsworth where the stolen cables were recovered,” she said.

The stolen shipping container is yet to be recovered.

“Investigations into the matter are ongoing and the investigation officer is following up on leads. The management of the Bellair police station commends Constables Sydney Gumede, Brandon Munsamy and Mthobisi Maliwa of the Trio Crimes Unit and Warrant Officer Nomvalo for their sterling work in these cases,” Mseleku said.

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