On Friday 12 June 2026 #SAPS Tactical Response Team (TRT) operators received a tip-off about a horse-and-trailer truck traveling to Gauteng transporting suspected stolen goods. The White Volvo FH truck was intercepted near a filing station in Glen Police Station precint. The operators conducted a search and copper cables could be seen from some of the torn bags.
The 47-year-old male driver was then requested to turn back to Bloemfontein under police escort to Parkweg Police Station grounds.
Experts and investigators from Centlec (SOC) Ltd, Telkom and Eskom were called out in order to guide the police in identifying the essential infrastructure components. The identification process continued on Bainsvlei Police Station grounds where there was enough space to unload the goods on Saturday 13 June 2026.
The Centlec Supervisor placed at Engineering Wires Section helped the police to identify 35mm copper cable, Air-dac and HT cable insulation from the recovered components. Telkom experts also identified cables belonging to their company. All together, nine (9) large bags of essential infrastructure components were seized from the truck. Telkom identified 40 kilograms of their property with replacement value estimated at R4 500.00. Centlec (SOC) Ltd identified 5 760 kilograms of essential infrastructure recovered, at an estimated replacement value of 3 million South African rands.
"The essential infrastructure components recovered were meant to supply electrical power to residential and industrial places. Some of the copper cables are used to electrify the street light. Copper cable theft deprives law abiding citizens of their livelihood. It is the responsibility of both the private stakeholders, and public roleplayers including the general public to bring tampering, damaging and destroying of essential infrastructure to a halt. If you see something, say something: we commend the swift reaction by members of Parkweg TRT," said the Provincial Commissioner Lt Gen Thabang Solomon Lesia.
A case docket of Criminal Matters Amendment Act 18/2015 and suspected stolen essential infrastructure was opened at Glen Police Station. The 47-year-old suspect was arrested and detained in police cells. The suspect is expected to appear in Bloemfontein Magistrate Court on Monday 15 June 2026.
#FightingCrime #EssentialInfrastructure #PoliceVisibility
Truck and Freight