The long arm of the law caught up with copper cable thieves when police in Marikana and Aquarius mine security officials apprehended 10 suspects for theft and possession of suspected stolen copper cables on Wednesday, 22 October 2014.
The suspects were arrested at a disused Aquarius mine shaft after information was received that there were illegal activities taking place at the shaft. Preliminary investigation has revealed that eight suspects are foreign nationals from Mozambique and Zimbabwe while the other two suspects are South Africans. Items such as pots, torches and hacksaws as well as tinned food were also found during retrieval of the cables. According to the information, some of the suspects were also found in possession of dagga.
The recovered cables weigh 5380 kilograms with estimated value of R109 000-00. The suspects, with ages ranging between 22 and 34 are due to appear in Marikana Periodical Court on Monday, 27 October 2014 where they will be facing charges varying from theft, possession of suspected stolen goods and possession of dagga.
The North West Provincial Commissioner; Lieutenant General Zukiswa Mbombo praised the police and security officials for their cooperation and hard work that resulted in the arrest and recovery of the copper cables. “It is only through cooperation and active participation of all stakeholders that we will be able to achieve more than this. This is indeed the right step towards the fight against non-ferrous metal related cases which are rife in the Platinum Belt areas”, Lieutenant General Zukiswa Mbombo said.
Also view:
Crime as a Threat to Road Safety
