Media statement
Ald Grandi Theunissen
MMC for Community Safety
As the MMC for Community Safety, it always gives me great pleasure to share Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) success stories.
On Friday, 10 February 2023, the TMPD Tactical Unit stopped a truck that was seemingly being escorted by a bakkie. Both vehicles were inspected and the drivers were asked to produce the necessary paperwork. It was quickly established that both vehicles were loaded with copper and none of the occupants of the vehicles were in possession of the necessary paperwork.
As the unit was questioning the occupants of the vehicle, the driver of the truck attempted to flee from the scene. He was quickly cornered by members of the Tactical Unit who managed to stop him. Backup from the Cable Theft Unit was requested via the TMPD control room. Upon their arrival, they confirmed that the suspects did not have the necessary paperwork for the copper.
The three male suspects were therefore arrested for possession of stolen copper to the value of R650 000. The suspects were taken to Lyttelton Police Station in Centurion for further processing. Both units assisted the police to offload the copper for safekeeping as evidence. I want to applaud the two TMPD units who managed to apprehend these suspects through effective teamwork. This is truly an example of how we should operate.
Once again, I want to remind our residents that they play a vital role in the detection of and rapid response to instances of cable theft and vandalism of critical infrastructure.
Should you see any suspicious activity, call the TMPD Cable Theft Unit on 012 358 1550 or the South African Police Service on 10111 to enable a timely response.