Stolen copper cathodes valued at about R6 million were seized by the South African Police Service (Saps) during an operation on March 28 targeting a suspected truck-hijacking syndicate operating from a farm in Ventersdorp in North West Province.
During Friday’s raid, police discovered numerous truck trailers, vehicle parts, heavy-duty machinery, forklifts, signal jammers and copper plates, believed to be stolen and estimated to be worth R10m altogether.
The raid followed a truck hijacking in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands a few days earlier, resulting in the loss of high-value copper meant for export through the Port of Durban.
According to a statement sent out by the Saps Provincial Commissioner for North West, hijackers pounced on the truck in the vicinity of Estcourt, forcing the driver off the road before unhooking his trailer and its cargo.
After another horse was hooked up to the trailer, the rig departed to a location where it was identified as stolen goods during the Saps raid.
The statement said: “Four suspects, all males between the ages of 20 and 50, were arrested.
“They will appear before the Ventersdorp Magistrates’ Court for possession of suspected stolen property.
“The case will be investigated by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI). The possibility of unearthing more cases against the accused cannot be ruled out.”
A key part of the raid was the involvement of a private security company from Rustenburg, K9.
Acting Provincial Police Commissioner Major General Patrick Asaneng said community involvement was proving extremely helpful in the fight against high-value crime.
Last week’s raid illustrated once more how pervasive the theft of copper cargo in South Africa has become, with organised crime syndicates targeting cathodes in transit.
In 2021, Transnet Freight Rail reported that copper theft had nearly doubled over the previous five years, leading to significant losses and disruptions.
In 2023, South Africa recorded 2 670 incidents of cargo theft in 18 months, including hijackings involving copper, such as theft of 38 tonnes of copper rods in Mpumalanga. – Additional reporting by Eugene Goddard.
