Africa-Press – South-Africa. A gang of five men who were allegedly caught with copper cables worth R350 000 were due to appear in the Molteno Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape on Monday.
The men, aged 18 to 61, were arrested by the Magnum security company on Friday while allegedly transporting the cables in a Nissan bakkie.
“A Nissan bakkie was stopped and searched at the intersection of Stormberg and Burgersdorp roads in Molteno, and officers found copper cables,” Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said.
“The Magnum security guards could not get a satisfactory answer as to why the suspects were in possession of copper cables at that place and time.”
Mgolodela said the security guards escorted the vehicle, its cargo and the occupants to Molteno police station, where the men were arrested.
She said the case was referred to the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team in Komani.
“The Nissan bakkie, with an estimated cash value of R120 000, that was allegedly used as an instrument in the commission of a crime, was also confiscated,” said Mgolodela.
The men will face charges of possession of suspected stolen goods and vandalism.
In May 2022, the Eastern Cape Department of Community Safety said vandalism of essential infrastructure in the province was getting out of hand.
Theft of cables and railways lines, vandalism at schools, electricity substations and sewerage works as well as damage to water distribution equipment have spiked in the province.
The two metros in the Eastern Cape – East London and Gqeberha – were identified as the hotspots.
The destruction of essential infrastructure, which includes cable theft and vandalism of public facilities, damaged the economy and environment, the DA in the Eastern Cape previously warned.
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