A scrapyard manager from Vanderbijlpark in the Vaal will spend his fourth night in a jail cell after he was nabbed with copper cables worth R1.3-million this week.
A multi-disciplinary task team was deployed to the area to attend to crimes related to essential infrastructure when it came across the copper cables at a scrapyard.
The raid was as a result of incidents of cable theft at a ArcelorMittal plant.
Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo said the team consisted of Gauteng highway patrol members, Sedibeng crime intelligence, Sedibeng essential infrastructure task team, and the organised crime investigations.
“Further investigation led the team to a scrapyard in the same area where a scrapyard manager could not prove the origins of copper cables in his possession. The team searched the premises and recovered over nine tons of copper cables stored in bags,” said Masondo.
“The representatives of ArcelorMittal, Eskom and Telkom were called to the scene where they positively identified the recovered copper cables as their respective properties.”
The suspect is yet to appear in court under charges of possession of presumed stolen property.
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