Four suspects who were arrested by Fairland police after being caught in possession of four metres of cables, appeared in the Newlands Magistrates’ Court on 27 November.
Fairland Police Station commander Clive de Freitas said the suspects were charged with theft and vandalism of state property.
On the day of the incident, a security company was patrolling the area when they noticed four suspects on foot at 11.30 pm. The Fairland police were called to the scene.
Warrant officer David Malan alleged that the suspects stole the copper cable which belongs to City Power.
The replacement value and the actual value of the copper are different.
“The cables have an estimated street value of R400 per metre and sell for R50 000 at scrap yards. When cables are stolen, the replacement price is more than the selling price,” said Malan.
He added that cable theft also affects large companies as well as residents. The police monitor the scrap yards the cables can be sold to and make sure they aren’t in possession of stolen cables.
Scrap yards have charts used to identify which cable comes from which company such as Telkom and City Power. There are guidelines scrap yards are required to follow in terms of accepting stolen goods and could be charged with dealing with illegal property.
“Second-hand dealers are required to have licenses to operate their businesses. They must record any metals they receive into a register with a copy of the person’s ID and home and work addresses so that if there are inquiries, people will be able to identify their property,” said Malan.
Residents are required to report any suspicious activities relating to cable theft by contacting the emergency call centre, the Fairland police or the cell numbers found on the sector vans.
Details: South African Police Service 10111; Fairland Police Station 011 478 9413.
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