31/01/2024
A woman(52), was remanded in custody by the Calcutta Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 29 January 2024, after she was arrested by the Hawks’ Nelspruit based Serious Organised Crime Investigation , Calcutta SAPS, Combined Private Investigations (CPI) for possession of suspected stolen property (Eskom cables) and Transnet tarpaulin.
It is reported that on Monday, 29 January 2024 at approximately 08:00, information was received from Combined Private Investigations (CPI) regarding a house in Mkhuhlu whereby copper cables were kept and to be transported late at night. The team followed up the information and proceeded to the said address.
On arrival, the owner of the house was not at home. Upon her arrival, she was informed about a search warrant. She granted the team permission to search the premises. During the search, aluminium cables, suspected to be from Eskom, were found on the premises covered by tarpaulin belonging to Transnet. More rolls of aluminium cables were found next to the house covered by tarpaulin.
An Eskom member was summoned to the crime scene and he identified the cables as Eskom property. A Fidelity Guard Investigator also identified the black tarpaulin as Transnet property. A large number of aluminium pots were also found in the house and outside the room, suspected to have been manufactured for melting the stolen cables.
The house owner was arrested and charged for possession of suspected stolen property (Eskom cables). The suspect appeared before the Calcutta Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 29 January 2024, and the case was postponed to Thursday, 01 February 2024 for formal bail application.
Investigation continues.
