Cable Theft Unit

An anonymous tip-off has led to a major cable theft bust valued at about R500 000 by a specialised unit of the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) early this morning. Members of TMPD’s newly established Cable Theft Unit received information last night about a truck carrying stolen copper destined for a known second-hand scrap metal dealer west of the city. Five members of the unit, in a marked police car, flagged down the truck on Van Der Hoff Road, a few metres from its destination. When the driver saw the police, he made a quick U-turn and sped off. The police gave chase and forced the truck off the road. When police asked the driver what was in the back of the truck, he said he was delivering a pile of rubbish to a scrap metal dealer. Upon inspection of the truck, police made a startling discovery of used and new copper cables belonging to the City with a street value of R500 000 covered under a pile of rubbish. The cables had been stolen from the vandalised Suid…