A case of theft and tampering with essential infrastructure was opened against a group of men who were seen apparently stealing copper cables outside a police station in Reiger Park, Ekurhuleni on Wednesday.
The video circulating on social media shows the suspects stealing the copper cable right in front of the police station. The men are captured walking away casually with the evidently heavy copper cables.
In the video, a group of about 10 men can be seen carrying the copper cable in the street, right in front of the police station.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said they have opened a case of theft and tempering with essential infrastructure.
“Police received information that there were people who are digging and stealing copper in Reiger Park. Police and Public Order Policing responded to the scene and on arrival, the group ran in different directions.”
“Police found digging tools and some copper cables abandoned. A case od theft and tampering with essential infrastructure was opened for investigation. No arrests have been made yet,” Masondo said.
Masondo said the police officers captured on footage did react to the theft of cables at the time of the incident, but the clip shows otherwise.
Meanwhile, Johannesburg City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava commended the work by the security and law enforcement agencies against cable thieves following the foiling of a cable theft incident on Friday.
Spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the “heavily armed mob of suspects”tried to break the concrete barrier on the M1 double-decker to access the integral cable feeding power from Fordsburg through the underground tunnels to Braamfontein.
“The suspects were proactively detected by our security and cornered to effect arrests. However, the heavily armed mob of suspects retaliated by discharging live ammunition, forcing our security to retreat.
Last week City Power was allocated R300 million to fight against cable theft and infrastructure vandalism.
Source: The Citizen, OFM, IOL, image from Twitter: @SABreakingNews