Four men, including two Mozambican nationals, have been arrested following a high-speed chase in Mpumalanga, which ended in a crash and the recovery of stolen Eskom copper cables.
On Monday, at 12:10pm, a Provincial Traffic Officer stationed at the Kinross weighbridge in Mpumalanga flagged down a heavily loaded Toyota Hilux double-cab bakkie carrying copper cables.
When instructed to proceed to the weighbridge, the driver ignored the officer’s directive and fled the scene, setting off a high-speed chase. The pursuit came to a sudden halt when the driver lost control, causing the bakkie to overturn.
The Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit was immediately summoned to the scene.
“On their arrival, the team interviewed the three African males who were transporting the stolen copper cables. They were arrested and their alibi led to the arrest of a 40-year-old male who joined the other three,” said Captain Sekgotodi Dineo, police spokesperson.
A multidisciplinary investigation, involving various units such as the Hawks Serious Organised Crime, Priority Crime Specialised Investigation, and the Secunda K9 Unit, followed leads to a farm where the stolen copper cables were stripped and burned.
“During the search, more copper cables (stripped and unstripped) were recovered,” Dineo said.
The bakkie used in the crime, along with the recovered copper cables, was seized and transferred to the Evander police station for safekeeping.
The four suspects will appear in the Evander Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, October 2, as investigations continue, with further arrests expected.
