NOORDWESTER – VENTERSDORP - Collaboration between Ventersdorp police, Rustenburg K9 and a security company led police to a farm in Ventersdorp on Friday, 28 March, where police discovered numerous truck trailers, vehicle parts, heavy duty machinery, forklifts, signal jammers and copper plates, believed to be stolen and estimated to the value of R10 million.
Initial police investigations indicated that a truck, loaded with R6 million worth of copper plates, was allegedly hi-jacked in Kwa-Zulu Natal in Escort a few days prior to this discovery. The truck was on the way to Durban harbour as the copper was earmarked to be exported and being monitored by the security company. The truck trailer was connected to another truck (horse) and the initial horse that was also hi-jacked was found abandoned next to the road shortly after the hijacking. Upon pouncing on the farm, some of the copper plates were already off loaded from the hi-jacked trailer and in the process of being cut into smaller pieces by heavy duty machinery.
During their search of the farm, police discovered five more trailers that were hi-jacked in Alberton, Vosloorus and Soweto in Gauteng. Four suspects, all males between the ages of 20 and 50 were arrested. They will appear before the Ventersdorp Magistrates’ Court for possession of suspected stolen property. The case will be investigated by the Directorate for Prio-rity Crime Investigation (DPCI). The possibility of unearthing more cases against the accused cannot be ruled out.
Acting Provincial Police Commissioner, Maj Gen Patrick Asaneng lauded the collaboration between police and the security company that led to the success. He emphasised that police cannot solve crime without the participation of members of community in the fight against crime.
