Railway track thieves ambushed by police
Railway track thieves ‘ran like spiders’ after they were ambushed by police in Middelburg.
Millions of rand worth of railway track was recovered by Police following a shoot-out with eight suspects at the corner of Vloed and Weeber Streets in Eastdene.
It is believed that just hours earlier they had stripped a yet undetermined length of railway track from an area between Middelburg and Stoffberg and laden a Mohandule’s Projects truck, which originated from Springs.
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About eight suspects in total were travelling in a car and another vehicle, making their getaway along Meyer Street at 05:00, when they found police were waiting for them.
What followed was a desperate scramble by the suspects to escape, and they even abandoned the truck.
An eyewitness recalled how the thieves abandoned their vehicle and ‘ran like spiders’ when they were confronted by Police.
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A vehicle was pursued along Weeber Street towards Eastdene when a shoot-out ensued. It continued to Vloed Street where four suspects were arrested, one was injured and taken to a hospital.
Four other suspects escaped.
R1,6 million worth of tracks stolen
• Almost six months ago, in April this year, an estimated 800 meter train track was stolen in the Stoffberg area, near the old Sterkloop train station.
The most recent railway tracks are believed to have been stolen in the same area.
The railway line was mainly used to transport iron ore from Mapoch mine in Roossenekal to Highveld Steel in eMalahleni.
The train stopped running when the steel factory closed.
Initial signs indicated that a blowtorch was used and the tracks were measured in exactly two meters sections before they were cut.
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There was also evidence that a truck was used to transport the tracks.
During that theft, the railway tracks on the specific railway line weighed 48 kilograms per meter, working out to about 38 tons stolen.
The estimated loss for the 800 meters stolen amounted to R1,6 million.
• Police did not immediately confirm whether the two incidents were linked but indicated that they were investigating the suspects for a number of months and that they expect to make more arrests.
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