An armed robbery at a storage site west of Pretoria has led to arrests, after community vigilance and a rapid response from both police and private security helped intercept stolen goods.

Three suspects are in police custody after stealing about R1.5-million worth of cables from a municipal storage depot in Hercules.

The robbery took place on July 28, when four armed men stormed the depot and held the four on-duty security officers at gunpoint.

The security officers were tied up, their mobile phones confiscated, and they were taken to the back of the building, where two of the suspects guarded them.

“The remaining two suspects moved to the front of the building and were later joined by additional accomplices. Two trucks arrived on the scene and began loading electrical cables, with an estimated value of R1.5-million,” said SAPS spokesperson, Captain Johan van Dyk.

Van Dyk said thanks to a vigilant community member, who saw the suspicious activity and immediately alerted the Hercules SAPS, two patrol vehicles, along with private security guards, responded swiftly and began searching for the trucks.

One of the trucks, accompanied by a silver BMW, was located in Bremer Street.

As SAPS officers intercepted the vehicles, the suspects tried to flee on foot. A chase ensued, resulting in the successful arrest of three suspects.

After finding and searching the truck, police recovered a large quantity of electrical and copper cables, as well as three pairs of gloves.

A search of the BMW yielded seven Mandrax tablets and false number plates.

The arrested suspects have been charged with business robbery and possession of suspected stolen property. An investigation is continuing to identify and trace other suspects.

Ward 1 councillor Leon Kruyshaar believes the suspects fled into a nearby informal settlement when intercepted by the police, and that the perpetrators are members of a larger syndicate responsible for cable theft in the area.

“As you know, cable theft is quite a continuous issue in our area. They have been stealing cables for the longest time, and not only have they been stealing from our ports, but they’ve also been stealing the cables underground,” said Kruyshaar.

“There are trenches they dig in the middle of the night and steal them [cables]. Overhead cables as well, the theft of municipal infrastructure is just out of hand in our area, and an arrest like this is exactly what we need.

“The criminals need to know that we are not just going to sit back; eventually, they’ll be caught. It takes time, it takes a lot of investigations and so forth, but they are curbing this.

“Probably not at the rate that we want, because the price of copper is currently at R170 a kilogram, so the theft will continue, but we’ll do everything we can to stop this.”

Kruyshaar expressed his gratitude for the authorities’ efforts, as he said that cable theft is an issue that won’t stop in his ward.

Residents with any information regarding the fourth suspect or anyone else involved with the crime are asked to contact their local authorities.

SAPS urges the public to remain alert and to report any suspicious activity or information that may assist ongoing investigations. Tip-offs can be reported anonymously via Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or through the MySAPS App.

Watch:

https://www.tiktok.com/@leonkruyshaar13/video/7532072826413616440

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