Five suspects appeared in Molteno Magistrates’ Court in the Eastern Cape this week after allegedly possessing R350 000 in copper wire.
According to Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela, the suspects are between 18 and 61 years old.
Mgolodela said that on Thursday morning (March 2, 2023) security guards from a private security company, Magnum Security, spotted a suspicious Nissan bakkie in Molteno.
They decided to pull over the suspects at the intersection of Stormberg and Burgersdorp roads. Security officers then conducted a search and were able to find a mass of copper wires hidden in the vehicle.
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Five people in the vehicle were immediately arrested.
The five suspects were charged with possession of suspected stolen goods and damage to vital infrastructure.
Serious Organized Crime Investigations
The matter has been referred to the Hawks’ Queenstown-based Serious Organized Crime Investigation team for further investigation.
The seized copper cables are estimated to be worth R350 000, and the Nissan bakkie, which was allegedly used to commit the crime, was also seized. It is estimated to cost R120 000.
Last month, police recovered R5 million in stolen copper cables in the Pinetown area of KwaZulu-Natal.
The copper cables were stolen from companies such as Telkom, Prasa and the eThekwini Municipality.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said officers received information about stolen cables being stored at a place on the outskirts of the city.
“The team acted on intelligence when they stormed the premises and executed a search warrant. Huge bags of copper wire were found in two trucks parked in the yard. Further searches yielded more copper inside the warehouse.
“The recovered copper was positively identified as the property of Prasa, eThekwini Municipality and Telkom. Five suspects, aged between 26 and 41, were arrested for possession of suspected stolen goods,” Netshiunda said.
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Additional reporting by Faizel Patel.