Klerksdorp Record, Klerksdorp - Three men, all illegal foreigners, were caught stealing copper cable next to the railway line outside Klerksdorp over the past weekend.
The threesome, a Zimbabwean, Lesotho and Mozambican nationals shared a holding cell with a Nigerian drug dealer that was arrested the previous night (November 22) for being in possession of drugs.
According to Col Amanda Funani, police spokesperson, the three cable thieves were spotted on Saturday November 23 by a security officer working for Transnet. “He was busy with patrols along the railway lines when he saw the three men busy digging. He found them in possession of copper cables and alerted the police who arrested them.’’
The men, aged 41, 48 and 51, do not have legal documents to be in the country. They were charged with tampering with essential infrastructure and contravention of the Immigration Act.
The Nigerian and the three other illegal aliens were expected to appear in the Klerksdorp Magistrates Court this week.
The Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, welcomed the arrests and commended the Klerksdorp Police and Transnet Security for their collaborative efforts.
Crime can be reported on the SAPS Crime Stop number 08600 10111 or the MySAPS application. Extortion-related incidents can be reported on the Extortion hotline on 080 091 1011.
