Four cell phone tower battery thieves are behind bars after being convicted for crimes they committed on 30 April.
Randburg Police Station spokesperson Captain Makgowanyana Maja said that police officers received information on 30 April about stolen tower batteries that were hidden somewhere in a storage facility in Ferndale.
Maja said, “The members were given a description of the vehicle and make being used by the suspects. They followed up the information to the location being given and on their arrival, they noticed the vehicle fitting the description of the vehicle given parked at the storage facility.”
According to Maja, the driver was requested to open the storage unit.
“Upon searching the place, four tower batteries were retrieved and which the owner failed to account for. Further investigation led the members to another storage facility where other suspects were found loading the batteries into a bakkie.”
In total, 47 tower batteries were recovered.
The four accused were sentenced recently in the Randburg Magistrates’ Court as follows:
- Evence Kaponda (27) was fined R7 000 or three years’ imprisonment and an additional five years’ imprisonment suspended for five years on condition that the accused is not convicted in terms of Section 36 or 37 of Act 62 of 1955 committed during the suspension.
- Jack Montero (36) was fined R5 000 or three years’ imprisonment and an additional five years’ imprisonment suspended for five years on condition that the accused does not commit any other offence during the suspension.
- Pias Square (36) and Steve Matola (27) were both fined R1 000 each or three year’s imprisonment.
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