Limpopo cops nab man with R1.2m stolen Eskom property
The man was arrested after the police were tipped-off about illegal electricity connections in the area.
LIMPOPO – The provincial police commissioner, Lt Genl Thembi Hadebe hailed the police for their efforts in eradicating crime in the province following yet another week of police successes.
This past week has seen the arrest of 1 255 people throughout the province for crimes ranging from murder, attempted murder, robbery, rape, sexual offences, sexual assault, possession of suspected stolen vehicles, possession of suspected stolen properties, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. An additional 135 suspects were arrested for contravening the Disaster Management Act.
The arrests were made during the weekly multidisciplinary operations which were conducted in all districts of the province from Monday (August 16) to the early hours of yesterday (August 23).
One of the major breakthroughs of the week was the recovery of stolen Eskom property worth over R1.2m in Tubatse within the Sekhukhune district.
Police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo says the man was arrested during a joint police operation on the evening of Thursday (August 19).
He explained that the members of the Limpopo Highway patrol team (LHP) received a tip-off about illegal electricity connections in the area and reacted to find the suspect at the identified address.
“He was found in the possession of suspected stolen property that belonged to Eskom worth an estimated R1.2m, and was arrested.”
Mojapelo say the items recovered include meter boxes, cables, an Eskom uniform, transformers, link stick, Eskom registers and certificates. The man faces a charge of possession of stolen property. He can also face a charge of fraud related to illegal connections as well as electricity theft.
Other weekly operational successes include:
In the Dennilton policing area on Wednesday (August 19) the police arrested a 62-year-old suspect for the possession of suspected stolen vehicle. Mojapelo said the police were patrolling the area when they stopped the said vehicle, a Toyota Avanza, “The vehicle details were checked and was found to be linked to a theft case in Jane Furse that occurred during January 2016. The driver was arrested.”
Meanwhile in the same area the police also arrested a 29-year-old suspect who was linked to armed robbery incident that took place during April this year.
In the Lebowakgomo policing area on Thursday, the police arrested two people, aged 28 and 29, for possession and dealing in illicit cigarettes.
“Members were patrolling when they noticed a street hawker selling illicit cigarettes. They approached and searched him and found 22 cartons of Remington Gold with street value of R3 000. The suspect then identified the person he bought the illicit cigarettes from and the dealer, aged 28, was also arrested. He was found with 11 cartons of Remington Gold and 20 filter of Remington Gold, with street value of R2 000.
On the same day the police managed to apprehend three suspects, aged between 20 and 25, for business robbery. The men were arrested during an operation at Ga-Selala village after they were linked to business robberies committed during July and October 2020 at Ratanang Secondary school. “During the arrest the police managed to recover tablets, a keyboard, projector board and a projector,” he said
On Wednesday (August 18) the police nabbed two men, aged 25 and 38, for business robbery and car hijacking. “At about 19:30 police received a tip-off about suspects who were who reportedly involved in a spate of business robberies and car hijackings in the Capricorn district. The information was followed the the men were arrested at a fuel station along the R101 road.
While a 46-year-old suspect was arrested for possession of gold concentrate during an operation activated in the Giyani policing area.
The other items that were recovered include phendukas, a generator, a pressure pump, borehole pumps, portable radio, rolls of electricity cables, various mining equipment and bags containing presumable gold materials. The estimated value of the recovered items is R100 000, Mojapleo said. Â
Tuesday (August 17) saw the arrest of a 53-year-old man who was found in the possession of a suspected stolen vehicle. “The police received information about the vehicle which was stolen at Brooklyn, Gauteng travelling towards Polokwane. The vehicle was spotted at Saselamani at around 20:00 and was tactically stopped. The driver was arrested on the spot.”
Some of the arrested suspects have already started to appear in the various magistrate’s courts in the province.Â
Hadebe acknowledged the role the public plays in the fight against crime in Limpopo. “We thank the community for continuously working with the police by providing positive information to assist in the apprehension of the criminals. These operations will continue,” she concluded.
