At about 01:00 on Sunday morning a gang of thieves overpowered guards at Transnet’s Supply Chain depot outside Ermelo and stole a roll of copper cable to the value of about R163 000. A truck was also stolen.
Police spokesman for Ermelo, Capt Carla Prinsloo, said four guards were on duty at the depot when they were confronted by a gang of about six armed robbers wearing balaclavas.
The guards were forced into a guard house and tied up with shoe laces. While one of the thieves watched over the helpless victims, the other gang members broke into a store and calmly loaded the large roll of copper cable onto a truck by using a fork lift.
The vehicle was later found abandoned in Verena near eMalahleni, but there was no sign of the copper cable.
Police investigations are continuing.
