Scrapyard in Vaal hides biggest illegal copper haul in SA
Police recovered a reported 9 tons of stolen copper cable in Vanderbijlpark this week in what is believed to be the single biggest strike of its kind against illegal copper merchants to date in South Africa.
If the 9 ton haul is confirmed, it would probably be record-breaking in terms of seized illegal copper in one operation in South Africa, said security analysts.
The massive haul of shredded copper is from from municipal infrastructure – currently being continuously plundered by cable thieves – and some of South Africa’s foremost corporations such as ArcelorMittal, Eskom and Telkom.
Copper cable theft from Eskom especially has paralysed South Africa economically and created an ongoing national crisis for Government and business countrywide.
The illegal copper trade has also become intertwined at many levels with the illegal gold or artisanal mining industry linked to Zama Zamas, again due to the centrality of the Vaal region and access to transport networks.
This week’s Vanderbijlpark raid captured the manager of the scrapyard, which was closed by Police on Thursday but the scrapyard has not been named in official Police communication. The 43-year-old man is expected to appear in court soon.
Read the article on the website of the Gazette’s sister newspaper Sedibeng Ster here:
Scrapyard in Vaal hides biggest illegal copper haul in SA | Sedibeng Ster
