Spoornet quantifies success of security clamp-down

Leonard Neill SPOORNET'S INTELLIGENCE unit has made headway in its campaign against cable and sleeper thefts in the KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng regions in recent months. Working in conjunction with the South African Police Service (SAPS) they recovered assets valued at R67 000 in a 10-day operation in Durban and Cato Ridge during May, as well as more than R55 000 in sleepers stolen near Johannesburg. The Durban region action included the recovery of 95kg of overhead cable, 390kg of signal cable, 510kg of white metal bearings and two aluminium ignites. Five suspects were arrested during the operation. The sleepers were recovered when premises of three businesses situated in and near Johannesburg were raided. A number of arrests have also been made in the Newcastle area where property stolen from Spoornet was confiscated from a number of scrap metal dealers. More projects of this nature will be mounted, says Spoornet's Asset Protection Services (APS) junior intelligence manager Neville Pillay. Recent successes were the result of information gathered by his unit through the recruitment of informers in the targeted problem areas.