Two BCM employees arrested for cable theft

Two Buffalo City Metro employees have been arrested forcable theft, while a third is at large. This brings to 13 the number of people arrested and believed to be working with cable theft syndicates targeted recently by the police and BCM officials. Cable theft is costing BCM ratepayers more than R100m a month, and community safety MEC Xolile Nqatha has said police are hot on the heels of municipal employees allegedly involved in syndicates.

Police spokesperson Captain Mluleki Mbi confirmed the latest arrests, saying the suspects were nabbed after a stash of copper cables was found at a house in Qonce. “[Police] can confirm that two men aged 37 and 41 were arrested last night [Thursday] at about 9.30pm. “This was after BCM law enforcement officers followed up on information about a municipality-branded TLB that was digging [up] copper at the Dimbaza industrial area.

“Information led them to a house at Quzini location outside Qonce where a huge load of copper estimated [to be worth] over R11,000 was found inside the garage. “Both suspects will appear at the Dimbaza magistrate’s court on Monday facing charges of damage to infrastructure,” Mbi said. Police said once excavated by the TLB, the electricity cables were allegedly transported in a municipal bakkie.

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Municipal spokesperson Bongani Fuzile said the incident was brought to the attention of officials by a security guard at the Dimbaza industrial area. “A task team led by the newly appointed superintendent: law enforcement services for the inland region conducted routine patrols in identified cable theft hotspot areas. “According to the security guard, the suspects [allegedly] used the TLB to excavate and remove the cables, which were then loaded into the municipal vehicle.

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