Two truck drivers contracted to Eskom were arrested at Kendal Power Station after they were found in possession of stolen coal.
The drivers were arrested on Wednesday night and a criminal case of theft of coal was registered with the Ogies SAPS, said Eskom in a statement.
Advocate Karen Pillay, General Manager for Security at Eskom, said the trucks, which belonged to an ash transporting company contracted to Eskom, were exiting the power station coal gate when they were stopped by security personnel who were conducting vehicle inspections.
Pillay said both truck drivers insisted that the trucks were empty and resisted the searches. With the persistence from the security team the trucks were eventually searched, and the stolen coal was found in the trailers.
“Coal theft is a highly organised criminal activity and syndicates involved are being entrenched through the proceeds derived from the trade in stolen coal. Eskom continues to lose billions of rands due to the misappropriation of coal and similar commodities, which directly affects production.
“There are several illicit coal stockyards and dump sites in the province that are recipients of the stolen coal. Eskom will ensure that the perpetrators face the full might of the law,” said advocate Pillay.
Eskom urged the public to report theft of coal, fuel oil, diesel and all other criminal activities to the Eskom Crime Line: 0800 1127 22.
Last month, as reported by News24, Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter said extraordinarily high coal prices have made it extra lucrative for unscrupulous suppliers to swindle the utility whereby they steal Eskom coal, and replace it with discard coal, and exporting Eskom’s coal to Europe.
The utility said the arrests are a result of “persistent and excellent” work from its security team, in partnership with the South African Police Service (SAPS), who are working to identify and disrupt the criminal networks.
Source: Times Live, Eyewitness News, News24, The Witness, image from Twitter: @fscentralnews