Three suspects have been arrested and a fourth is still at large for stealing copper worth R2m in Johannesburg.
Two suspects were arrested in Tembisa on Thursday and pointed out a third suspects who was arrested in Devland on Friday. The suspects are in their late 20s.
Lucky Sindane‚ spokesperson for the City of Johannesburg Group Forensic and Investigation Service (GFIS)‚ said the copper was stolen from the city’s data centre in Braamfontein in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The four suspects sold the 200m of copper cables for R20‚000 to a scrapyard in Jeppestown on Saturday before it was resold to a scrapyard in Devland on Thursday.
The city offered a R100‚000 reward to anyone who had information which could lead to the arrest of any suspects. They received a tip-off from a member of the public which led to the arrests.
The City’s GFIS head and former police General Shadrack Sibiya was on the scene on Friday afternoon.
Sindane alleges that 65% of all power outages in the city are a result of copper theft and that it has cost the city about R60 million to repair.
“Remember‚ when they steal them‚ they don’t just take them out nicely. They rip them off [and] you have to bring in security as well.”
Three suspects arrested‚ fourth wanted for R2m copper theft
Image: STOCK IMAGE
Three suspects have been arrested and a fourth is still at large for stealing copper worth R2m in Johannesburg.
Two suspects were arrested in Tembisa on Thursday and pointed out a third suspects who was arrested in Devland on Friday. The suspects are in their late 20s.
Lucky Sindane‚ spokesperson for the City of Johannesburg Group Forensic and Investigation Service (GFIS)‚ said the copper was stolen from the city’s data centre in Braamfontein in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The four suspects sold the 200m of copper cables for R20‚000 to a scrapyard in Jeppestown on Saturday before it was resold to a scrapyard in Devland on Thursday.
The city offered a R100‚000 reward to anyone who had information which could lead to the arrest of any suspects. They received a tip-off from a member of the public which led to the arrests.
The City’s GFIS head and former police General Shadrack Sibiya was on the scene on Friday afternoon.
Sindane alleges that 65% of all power outages in the city are a result of copper theft and that it has cost the city about R60 million to repair.
“Remember‚ when they steal them‚ they don’t just take them out nicely. They rip them off [and] you have to bring in security as well.”
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