7 Men Arrested for Possessing Stolen Copper Cables Worth R1.5m and Turning Them Into Pots in KZN

• Seven men were bust with stolen copper and cables allegedly from eThekwini Municipality and Transnet in Durban
• The gang allegedly used the stolen items to make three-legged pots and were arrested during a task team raid after receiving a tip off
• The suspects in possession of the copper and cables that are worth at least R1.5 million are set to appear in court soon

DURBAN - Police have busted seven men who were using stolen copper and cables to make three-legged pots. They were arrested for possessing items that are believed to have belonged to eThekwini Municipality and Transnet.

The copper and cables are worth at least R1.5 million. According to The Witness, officers from SAPS, eThekwini Metro Police, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, Transnet, Telkom, and Eskom cracked down on the suspects.

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After receiving a tip-off, the task team raided a property in Ntuzuma, where they discovered stripped copper cables. An R5 rifle and rounds of ammunition were also found at the property.

The suspects are expected to appear in court. Metro Police Deputy Head Sibonelo Mchunu told IOL that the public must continue to report cable and copper theft.

He said community members must not look away when they are aware of syndicates as it disrupts the provision of services. Mchunu also commended the task team members for their swift response.

South Africans outraged over the criminals’ disregard for the law:

Lee Grifth said:

“The government must send police to all illegal township scrap yards, they should be closed down.”

Wade Rose posted:

“The government needs to ban the sale of copper if they want to curb this crime.”

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Trevor Chiliza commented:

“Some are busy Cooking using pots made of stolen cables.”

Hennie Smit wrote:

“Crime is big money in SA and also to the government. That’s why they are not worried about it. Sad sad state.”

Molly Moodley stated:

“Those buying these copper are supporters of crime. A tough sentence should be given to those dealers.”

Karen Bosworth Hunt added:

“Find out who is buying these cables and metal. They need to be shut down. If there are no buyers the chain is broken.”

High price and demand of copper cables leads to vandalism of electricity network in SA, Hawks investigate

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported the high demand for copper and its price has increased vandalism to the country’s electricity supply, according to the Hawks.

The head of the Hawks in Gauteng Major-General Ebrahim Kadwa addressed the issue during the second day of the City of Johannesburg’s Energy Indaba in Sandton on Tuesday 24 May. Kadwa said that most of the stolen copper is sent to international markets. According to him, the copper thieves are part of a heavily armed syndicate.

Source: Briefly News