Stolen railway tracks recovered
“Railway theft is a huge problem for us,” said Mr Els. “It happens more often than people realise.”
Approximately one ton of stolen railway tracks was recovered by Transnet staff on Friday, on the back of a bakkie hidden behind a container in the industrial area.
Dries Els, an employee of Transnet, received a call on Friday morning regarding the tracks and the location of the bakkie. Upon arriving on scene, he discovered serial numbers on the tracks, confirming them as Transnet assets.
The bakkie, with a Nquthu registration, had no license disk and was obviously not roadworthy. It was overloaded and parked behind a container on a street corner.
“Railway theft is a huge problem for us,” said Mr Els. “It happens more often than people realise.”
It is believed the tracks were destined to be sold to local scrap dealers. Reportedly, the scrap steel is sold for R3.60 per kilogram.
The incident was reported to the police, who arrived on scene shortly thereafter. A case of theft was opened and the bakkie was impounded.
