PARKTOWN – Addressing the proliferation of essential infrastructure related crime remains a top priority for the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng. It is on this basis that the Provincial Commissioner of police in Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela has welcomed the recent successes achieved by members across the province.
On Monday, 16 May 2022 members of SAPS Cullinan together with Task Team members arrested five men in Elandshoek for tampering with essential infrastructure.
The team reportedly operationalised information and proceeded to an identified address in Elandshoek where they found five man digging copper cables next to a railway line and were subsequently arrested.
In another incident, a multi-disciplinary team comprising of members from Organised Crime Investigations; Firearm, Liquor and Secondhand Goods (FLASH), Johannesburg East Crime Intelligence and other stakeholders conducted an intelligence-driven takedown operation.
Information led the team to an address in Orange Grove whereby a search resulted in the recovery of copper cables and weighing scales.
A female suspect was arrested for possession of essential infrastructure.
Meanwhile, on 16 May 2022, the Sedibeng Infrastructure Task Team arrested 11 suspects after they followed up on information about a truck at a certain plot in Kliprivier offloading stolen tyres.
On arrival at the plot, police recovered a hijacked truck with 192 stolen tyres as per Brighton Beach case, two trailers and a forklift as per a Lyttelton case, 30 metres of copper cable one roll of cable identified as property of Johannesburg Municipality and one 9mm Norinco firearm.
All arrested suspects are expected to face multiple charges which include theft, tampering with essential infrastructure as well as contravention of the Secondhand Goods Act.
“Theft of cable and destroying of essential infrastructure is not only a crime but also brings a disrepute to the economy of the Province. As the SAPS in Gauteng, we are committed and stand resolute to fight against infrastructure related crimes; hence there is a Multi-disciplinary Essential Infrastructure Task Team that is established in five districts to pull all available resources together to combat this crime, said Lt Gen Mawela.
Source: South African Police Service