Pretoria - The Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) has arrested three teenage boys for cable theft after they were allegedly found with rolls of cables.
EMPD spokesperson Lerato Monyane said the three boys are aged between 14 and 16.
“On Monday 13 March 2023 at 21:50, the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department’s Bronberg precinct officers arrested three male suspects between the ages of 14 and 16, for cable theft,” Monyane said.
“Whilst officers were busy with their normal duties, they received information about people busy stealing electrical cables, on Holding Street.
“Officers responded and the three teens, found in possession of a machete/panga, cutting razor, hand gloves and two rolls of a cable, were handcuffed. Upon interviewing the trio, they explained that they were five in total, but two ran away when they saw officers closing in on them,” she said.
The parents of the boys were called and they escorted the children as they were handed to the SAPS.
“The three apprehended minors, who reside in the Daveyton area, are facing charges of theft and possession of items used for essential infrastructure,” said Monyane.
“The parents of the threesome were summoned to accompany the suspects to the Benoni police station where they were handed over to the South African Police Service unit dealing with such cases.”
In February, the Tshwane Metro Police Department’s (TMPD) cable theft unit was praised for extensive efforts to protect the city’s infrastructure despite working with “limited resources”.
At the time, Tshwane MMC for community safety Grandi Theunissen said TMPD officers doing patrols in the Bronkhorstspruit area noticed a property that was being used as a scrap metal dealership.
“When they entered to inspect the premises, they found copper hidden in bags that had clearly been extracted from cables. The owner was unable to provide sufficient proof of ownership,” said Theunissen.
“The suspect also tried to convince officers that he was an Angolan citizen. However, it was later established that he is a 45-year-old South African citizen,” he said.
During the continuation of the extensive search operation, two small bags with suspected drugs were also found on the premises.
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