Klerksdorp Midweek, Stilfontein - Collective efforts by members of Combined Private Investigation (CPI) and the police resulted in the recovery of stolen copper cables and arrest of 11 suspected thieves last week in Stilfontein and Potchefstroom. All the suspects arrested in Potchefstroom appeared in the local Magistrate’s Court on Friday November 7, on charges of damage to essential infrastructure and possession of suspected stolen copper cables. The accused were remanded in custody until Friday November 14, for a bail application. The accused, who are from Lesotho, are also facing additional charges of contravening the Immigration Act.
Meanwhile, five of the six suspects arrested in Stilfontein will remain in custody after their case was postponed for further investigation when they appeared in court on November 7, on a charge of damage to essential infrastructure. They will be back in court on November 14. The sixth suspect is a minor who was scheduled to be in court on Monday November 10.
According to Brig Sabata Mokgwabone, police spokesperson, the CPI members were following up on leads regarding suspected copper cable theft incidents when they noticed a suspicious silver Volkswagen Polo near a Telkom substation. The team closely monitored the area and conducted an inspection. “It was established during the inspection that one manhole was tampered with. Further inspection led to the arrest of three males who were found cutting cables inside the second manhole. The suspects were apprehended through assistance of Stilfontein police station and Klerksdorp Crime Combatting Unit (CCU) members.’’
He said that ensuing investigations at Breede Street resulted in the recovery of Telkom cables and the arrest of three additional suspects. Following this, a Nissan Navara bakkie, which sped away, was spotted in Potchefstroom with cables inside. “Three male occupants were arrested after failing to account for the possession. Subsequent to a given lookout for another vehicle, two more suspects were arrested after copper cables were discovered in their Suzuki vehicle. Out of the five suspects, three of them were linked with a case of damage to essential infrastructure registered in Klerksdorp,” Mokgwabone said.
