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Two security officers were among six suspects who were arrested for theft at the copper cable storage facility in Booysens on Saturday.
The suspects were booked at Booysens Police Station and will appear in court soon.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena says they are implementing internal disciplinary measures against the two implicated security officers and improving security measures at their storage facilities following the security breach.
City Power says it is also implementing measures to protect the network of cables from theft. These include improved physical security barriers in substations, local security contracting, partnership with communities and businesses, crime information gathering and armed security services.
Mangena adds in the previous financial year, City Power recorded 2 144 cable theft incidents and arrested 193 suspects, including contractors and people who previously worked on their network.
He says:
A preliminary investigation revealed that two City Power security officers were in cahoots with external criminal elements.
Mangena adds that the security officers would arrange the thieving and organise the criminal elements to come through the back of the premises.
“They would then aid them to scale over the parameter or make an opening in the fence and take them to the copper cables to be cut and stolen. They would also assist them to take the cut cables over the fence.
“We believe they have been doing this for some time and suspect that there are more internal members involved.”
READ: Disastrous cable theft ‘pandemic’
In another incident, a male suspect was recently arrested in Moffatview for cable theft. The suspect was found with three stolen copper cables.
Mangena adds that load shedding exacerbates the incidents of cable theft as more incidents happen when the lights go off.
“Just this weekend, at least 23 incidents of theft of cables, fuses and batteries, as well as vandalism, were reported in different areas across the City of Joburg.”
Head of security management at City Power Sergeant Thela says while they are happy about the arrests and convictions, they are worried about the involvement of their security members in cable theft crimes.
“As mentioned in the past, we are working well with the SAPS-driven essential infrastructure task teams to root out essential infrastructure crimes in the City of Joburg. This will include arresting and prosecuting our own staff members if they are involved in these crimes.
READ: ‘Cable thieves have their own school’
“A week ago, a suspect who was arrested for damaging a transformer in our Jeppe substation was convicted to a five-year direct imprisonment. This was achieved through the dedication of SAPS investigating officers, National Prosecuting Authority prosecutors and support by City Power security management personnel,” says Mangena.
Mangena adds that they are pleased with the above arrests and hope it will produce a stiff sentence that fits the crime to serve as a deterrent to cable thieves.
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