State-owned Transnet has welcomed the arrest of 21 individuals suspected of critical infrastructure theft.

Transnet notes that the individuals were arrested on September 1 by members of South African Police Service (SAPS) at a Transnet depot in Swartkops, Gqeberha.

The utility says these arrests follow prompt action taken by Transnet security personnel at the depot when they spotted trespassers on the premises and promptly alerted SAPS.

The 21 suspects were found hiding with several bags filled with the following stolen items including copper bus bars, transformers, electrical switches, copper cables and electrical cables, which collectively have an estimated value of about R350 000.

In another incident, on September 3, Transnet notes that police recovered copper cable worth about R3-million at an unregistered scrapyard in De Deur, Gauteng, and arrested five suspects.

This followed an intelligence-driven operation by a multidisciplinary team, which led them to the scrapyard.

Preliminary investigation further established that the copper cable belonged to Transnet.

The five suspects will soon appear before the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court on charges of possession of stolen infrastructure, dealing in second hands goods without a licence and contravening the Immigration Act.

“Our work is beginning to make serious inroads in dismantling the destructive criminal syndicates targeting essential infrastructure. We will continue to focus on fighting crimes which are responsible for the destruction of our essential infrastructure,” says Transnet Group CE Michelle Phillips.

Meanwhile, Transnet says it also welcomes the successful conviction and sentencing of three cable thieves.

These convicts were prosecuted and sentenced by the Molteno Regional Court, in the Eastern Cape, on August 27, for theft of copper cables, possession of stolen copper and contravention of the Immigration Act.

The utility says the case was linked to an incident that occurred in December 2021, when police and Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager security received intelligence-driven information regarding vehicles transporting stolen copper cable theft in the Stormberg area.

The court handed down sentences of 15 years of jail time for the theft and possession of copper cables and a further three months’ imprisonment for breach of the Immigration Act to each of the suspects.

The investigation was led by the Komani-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit of the Hawks.

“These successes illustrate the impact of collaboration with SAPS, the National Prosecuting Authority, State Security Agency, Eskom, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa and other State entities, including the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development,” says Transnet.