Umkomaas police nabbed three men and recovered R850 000 worth of electric cable on the R102 near Illfracombe on Wednesday night, 5 February.
Members of the Umkomaas crime prevention, under the command of W/O Logan, were patrolling when they noticed a four ton truck coming along the river. The members became suspicious and thought they were transporting river sand. When they stopped the truck, they discovered it was not sand, but 17 rolls of electric cable, totalling 8 000 metres.
The truck was being followed by a silver Audi A4. When the truck was stopped, the driver of the Audi jumped out and approached W/O Naidoo and said he works for eThekweni Municipality and he is the owner of the cables. He produced an electricity department identity card.
He told the police the cables were from eThekweni stores and he was transporting them to Mtubatuba. The police grew suspicious as to why eThekweni property was being taken to another municipality. They asked for documentation, but he couldn’t produce any. Ethekweni council was contacted and they sent out staff members who confirmed that the men should not be in possession of the cable.
READ ALSO: Amanzimtoti crime fighters crack truck theft syndicate
Lindelani Xulu of illfracombe, Nathi Cele of Verulam and Mlindeni Gumede of the Dududu area were arrested and charged for being in possession of suspected stolen property. They were detained at Umkomaas SAPS and appeared in Umbumbulu Magistrates Court, where they were remanded back into custody.
A large amount of cash was seized from the suspects and the cable was confirmed to have been stolen from the eThekweni depot at Springfield Park, Durban. A case docket for theft is being registered in Durban.
Other senior staff and suspects are still to be arrested.
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