AN alert resident’s suspicions led to the arrest of one of two cable thieves by CCPO in Athlone Park on Monday evening, 26 May.
At about 6pm, Irene Pote saw two suspicious-looking men handing each other shiny objects at the corner of Kingsway and Wavecrest Road, as she drove past.
“I turned around, but they had disappeared. As I have friend living in Wavecrest Road, I drove down and tried to warn residents. Hardly anyone answered their doorbells. I stopped a car and warned the occupants.”
Irene drove up and down trying to spot the men. “I parked and took my torch to search for tracks. While walking, the car I had stopped earlier pulled up in Kingsway and the occupants walked with me. The woman told be a sausage dog was running around and they were trying to catch it, where the men were working on manholes. I came across a five pound hammer next to a half-open manhole. I asked the young man with us to pull the lid open and I shone the torch in, thinking the dog could have fallen in.”
Instead, Irene shone her torch on to a man’s foot in slops, wearing blue overall pants from the ankle down. “They had a block and tackle, chains wrapped around fibre optic cables, which they were pulling.” They ran, quickly followed by the thieves. She tried to follow them, but lost them close to the golf course. I was worried that they were armed.”
She alerted CCPO and Toti SAPS.
On inspection, CCPO officers found two block and tackle sets in the manhole, along with several sections of cable. Guards were posted near the manhole. At about 9pm the thieves returned, but before they could be arrested, the fled towards Golf Course Road.
CCPO located one man who had fled into dense bushes. They cordoned off the area and after a quick search, he was arrested. His accomplice escaped. The cable and the thieves’ tools were handed to police.
