Three arrested for possession of R650k stolen copper
TMPD officers established that both vehicles were loaded with copper and none of the occupants were in possession of the necessary paperwork to carry the loads.
Tshwane metro police (TMPD) arrested three suspects for possession of stolen copper worth over half a million rand recently.
The department said that its tactical unit stopped a truck that they believed was being escorted by a bakkie.
Once stopped, officers inspected the vehicles and questioned the drivers.
TMPD officers established that both vehicles were loaded with copper and none of the occupants were in possession of the necessary paperwork to carry the loads.
One driver attempted to flee the scene, but officers of the tactical unit managed to stop him.
The cable theft unit confirmed that the suspects did not have the necessary paperwork to carry the copper.
The three men were therefore arrested for possession of stolen copper to the value of R650 000.
The suspects were taken to Lyttelton police station in Centurion for further processing, and the copper was offloaded and kept for evidence.
Tshwane MMC for community safety, Grandi Theunissen said: “I want to applaud the two TMPD units who managed to apprehend these suspects through effective teamwork”.
“This is truly an example of how we should operate.”
The MMC implored residents to work with law enforcement. He said that residents “play a vital role in the detection of and rapid response to instances of cable theft and vandalism of critical infrastructure”.
Theunissen said that anyone with any information or who witnessed suspicious activity should call the TMPD cable theft unit on 012 358 1550 or the police on 10111.
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