Three men, among them two business owners were arrested for being involved in illegal copper operations worth more than R4,6 million in Randfontein. One of them is a former South African champion.
Gauteng Hawks spokesperson Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu said the owners of P&P Commodities, Pierre Coetzer, 60, and Pieter Venter, 50, handed themselves over at the Hawks’ office in Krugersdorp last week. They were both charged with contravening the Second-Hand Goods Act and the National Environmental Act. Coetzer is a former SA heavyweight boxing champion.
She said their arrest came after one of their employees, Vernon Michael van der Mescht, 56, was arrested at their business premises last month following a multi-disciplinary operation in Randfontein when authorities impounded a truck loaded with copper blisters.
Authorities conducted an operation in November last year after allegations had come to their attention that a copper manufacturing company, P&P Commodities in Randfontein was operating in and melting copper without any of the second-hand goods permits, foundry/ refinery licences, combustion licences or any other environmental permit or licence.
The business was closed down and copper operations were halted pending the approval of any valid environmental permit or licence application. During this period, the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development served the accused with a non-compliance notice.”
Captain Mulamu added that the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit in Krugersdorp received intelligence that P&P Commodities was back in business and had been in operation for about two weeks.
On February 7, the Hawks, Randfontein Designated Second-Hand Goods officer and the West Rand District Municipality Environmental Department pounced on Van der Mescht, who allegedly was loading copper blisters into a truck for distribution in KwaZulu-Natal.
“The investigation team confiscated 42 copper blisters worth approximately R4,6 million for further investigation.”
All the accused have since been granted bail of R5 000 each. Coetzer and Venter are expected back in court on Wednesday, March 16, where they will be joined by their co-accused, Van der Mescht.
