Collaborative Efforts Result in Arrest of 11 Suspects Linked to Copper Cable Theft

Stilfontein: Collaborative efforts by members of Combined Private Investigation (CPI) and the police resulted in the recovery of stolen copper cables and arrest of 11 suspects on Wednesday, 05 November 2025, in Stilfontein and Potchefstroom. According to South African Police Service, the CPI members were following up on leads regarding suspected copper cable theft incidents when they noticed a suspicious silver Volkswagen Polo near a Telkom substation. The team monitored the area closely and conducted an inspection on Wednesday morning. It was established during the inspection that one manhole was tampered with. Further inspection led to the arrest of three males who were found cutting cables inside the second manhole. The suspects were apprehended with the assistance of Stilfontein police station and Klerksdorp Crime Combatting Unit (CCU) members. Ensuing investigations at Breede Street resulted in the recovery of Telkom cables and the arrest of three additional suspects. Following this, a Nissan Navara ba kkie, which sped off from the vicinity, was spotted in Potchefstroom with cables inside. The police arrested three male occupants after they failed to account for the possession. After a given lookout for another vehicle, two more suspects were arrested after copper cables were discovered in their Suzuki vehicle. Out of the five suspects, three were linked with a case of damage to essential infrastructure registered in Klerksdorp. All suspects arrested in Potchefstroom appeared in the local Magistrate's Court on Friday, 07 November 2025, on charges of damage to essential infrastructure and possession of suspected stolen copper cables. The accused were remanded in custody until Friday, 14 November 2025, for a bail application. The accused, who are from Lesotho, are also facing additional charges of contravening the Immigration Act, 2002. Meanwhile, five of the six suspects arrested in Stilfontein will remain in custody after their case was postponed for further investigation on appearance in court on Friday, 07 November 2025, for damage to essential infrastructure. They will be back in court on Friday, 14 November 2025. The matter against the sixth suspect is handled in terms of the Child Justice Act, due to him being a minor. He is due to appear in court on Monday, 10 November 2025. The North West Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General (Dr) Ryno Naidoo, applauded all stakeholders for their cooperation and hitting hard on those who disrupt basic services and negatively impact the economy by tampering with or damaging essential infrastructure.