Two men have been arrested for allegedly stealing‚ reconstructing and reselling tombstones in the Sterkspruit and Palmietfontein area in the Eastern Cape‚ police said on Sunday.

Police spokesperson Cpt Ursula Roelofse said the arrests followed an intelligence-driven operation conducted in the Macacuma locality.

Roelofse said the man and his nephew were arrested at their home in Macacuma village after they were found in possession of used tombstone slabs.

"They were reconstructing and reselling the tombstones to unsuspecting buyers at low rates.

"A recent transaction was also confirmed with a new buyer who purchased two tombstones and had them installed at an old grave and a new grave at which the burial would take place on June 8 2019."

Roelofse said both tombstones‚ with installation costs‚ were worth R8‚000.

Police had also recovered R7‚600 in cash.

"A cellphone of the main culprit was also confiscated for the download of conversations about sales of tombstones and pictures of tombstones installed‚" Roelofse said.

The two men‚ aged 47 and 31‚ were expected to appear in the Sterkspruit magistrate's court on Monday on a charge of being in possession of suspected stolen property.