Over 600m of stolen cables recovered in Waterkloof Ridge
“One man was arrested for cable theft and damage to essential infrastructure and taken to the Brooklyn police station.”
More than 600 metres of stolen cables were recovered by the TMPD cable theft unit and private security companies in Waterkloof Ridge on March 14.
Reaction officers from Fidelity-ADT, Axon Security, CSI Security and Bull Security were patrolling the area when they received a tip-off by a Waterkloof resident. They detained one suspect.
“A bolt cutter and break-in tools were found in his possession. Extensive cable theft was discovered to overhead electricity lines from two streets nearby,” said CPF member and local ward councillor Jarad Frimmel.
Upon the discovery, members of the TMPD’s cable theft unit were called in to assist with the arrest.
Authorities were able to recover over 600 metres of stolen overhead electricity cables that were identified as belonging to the Tshwane metro.
“One man was arrested for cable theft and damage to essential infrastructure and taken to the Brooklyn police station,” Frimmel continued.
According to law enforcement, load-shedding seems to provide perfect cover for cable thieves as Valhalla recently reported an increase in cable thefts due to persistent load-shedding.
In 2022, Eskom reported that the theft of cables, overhead lines, transformers and conductors was costing Eskom around R2-billion per year.
Criminals do not only target overhead cables but also transformer oil.
Residents are urged to report any suspicious persons or vehicles, especially during load-shedding hours, to the TMPD Cable Theft Unit at 012 358 1550 or to SAPS at 10111.
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