Durban - eThekwini Municipality has urged the public to report any suspicions on cable theft to the nearest police station after a major syndicate operating in the Pinetown area was bust with tons of copper valued at over R5 million on Sunday.
The municipality said cable theft has a negative impact on the City’s communication network, electricity supply, railway, and traffic services.
Head of the Electricity Unit, Maxwell Mthembu said the theft of cables does not only deprive residents of the supply of power, but also interrupts the supply of water to residents due to malfunctioning water pumps.
“The public is urged to report any suspicions of cable theft to the nearest police station,” said the municipality.
Elaborating further on the bust, the municipality said the operation was carried out by the City’s Electricity Unit, together with the SAPS.
It said authorities discovered a cable theft syndicate operating from an isolated warehouse in Pinetown. They recovered suspected stolen copper valued at over R5 million.
Some of the cables belonged to Telkom and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
“The City’s Infrastructure Theft Division discovered that cables had been stored at an isolated warehouse for almost a week,” said the municipality.
The municipality said it is believed that security in the area noticed suspicious activity and alerted authorities.
“Five male suspects, including the syndicate’s alleged kingpin, were arrested for being in possession of stolen property. The suspects are expected to appear in court for a bail application. Investigations continue as more arrests are expected,” said the city.
