Six men are expected to appear before the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court later this week following their arrest for possession of suspected stolen property and tampering with essential infrastructure.
The arrests were made by the SAPS National Intervention Unit (NIU) during routine patrols along Soutpan Road near the Onderstepoort plots on May 4.
According to Pretoria North SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Tumisang Moloto, the officers spotted a suspicious white Toyota single-cab bakkie with occupants behaving in a manner that raised concern.
He said when approaching the vehicle, officers searched and discovered a transformer that had already been disconnected and loaded into the vehicle.
Moloto said the six suspects were immediately arrested on the scene and taken into custody at Pretoria North SAPS for further investigation.
He indicated that the suspects face charges of possession of suspected stolen property as well as tampering with essential infrastructure, a serious offence that has, in recent years, contributed to power disruptions and damage to critical public utilities.
Moloto confirmed the arrest and praised the swift response of the NIU officers who were on patrol at the time.
“The members were conducting routine patrols when they noticed a suspicious vehicle along Soutpan Road.
“Upon stopping and searching the vehicle, they discovered a transformer that had already been disconnected and loaded into the bakkie,” said Sergeant Moloto.
He added that all six suspects were arrested on the spot and detained for further investigation as police continue to probe possible links to other cases of infrastructure theft in the area.
The arrest comes amid ongoing concerns about the theft and vandalism of essential infrastructure, which has had a direct impact on electricity supply and road safety systems in parts of Pretoria North.
In recent incidents, damaged infrastructure has also resulted in non-functioning traffic lights, including at the R566 and Onderstepoort intersection.
Moloto has repeatedly warned that tampering with infrastructure not only disrupts public services but also places lives at risk and places additional strain on already burdened municipal resources.
The six suspects are expected to make their first court appearance later this week as the investigation continues.
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