| 2025/02/08 |
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Media Statement
FREE STATE – The South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Fezile Dabi District has achieved a major breakthrough in the fight against copper cable theft. Members of the Fezile Dabi District Infrastructure Team intercepted a truck carrying stolen copper cables valued at over R8 million during a routine vehicle checkpoint (VCP) operation. On 7 February 2025, at approximately 16:30, SAPS members conducted a VCP along the N1 Road at Vaal Plaza, Parys. During the operation, officers stopped a Volvo truck with a trailer for inspection. Upon searching the vehicle, members discovered six bags of stripped copper cables hidden beneath PVC (plastic) covers and other scrap wires inside the trailer. The truck driver, a 46-year-old South African male, provided invoices and delivery notes, which indicated that the cargo should have been PVC cable weighing approximately 27,100 kg. However, the documents made no mention of copper cables. When questioned about the discrepancy, the driver was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation. As a result, the suspect was arrested and detained at Sasolburg SAPS facing a charge of possession of stolen copper. The truck and trailer were impounded. The confiscated cable weighing about 28 200 kg, with an estimated market value of R8 million, was confiscated. The suspect (46) will appear in the Parys Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 10 February 2025.
The SAPS remains committed to clamping down on copper cable theft, which severely impacts essential infrastructure and services.
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