A councillor and Ward 82 residents in Pretoria East have played a pivotal role in the arrest of a man for vandalising a municipal building.
Councillor Siobhan Muller ensured the man was arrested for possession of drugs and stealing cables from a municipal building on the corner of Umgazi and 26th streets on Saturday, July 6.
Muller said the building had a history of illegal occupation and vandalism.
She said last weekend a resident saw two men on the roof stripping the pipes and alerted her.
“I immediately activated CSI private security company that operates in the area, as well as Tshwane Metro Police,” she said.
“When I arrived at the site, CSI was already there.”
According to Muller one suspect was caught red-handed while the other managed to escape.
She said police were called to the site and she opened a case against the suspect she saw carrying cables when she arrived.
“The resident who called me also made a statement as a witness,” said Muller.
She said the suspect was taken to Brooklyn police station.
CSI Senior Operations manager Kamershan Reddy said following the tip-off from Muller, his team arrived at the scene at 14:36.
They detained a man they caught cutting copper pipes out of the wall.
Reddy added that upon searching the suspect, they found heroin (nyaope), tools, and copper pipes.
“Additionally, the suspect had stripped a vehicle in the yard, removing items including the computer box module,” he said.
“Following protocol, the officers contacted the control room to dispatch the SAPS unit.”
Police had yet to comment regarding the arrest.
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