State-owned logistics agency Transnet's security personnel and South African Police Service (SAPS) apprehended 17 suspects at its operations in various regions.

The suspects were arrested in six separate incidents on September 9 and 10.

On September 9, a train at Ladysmith Station, in KwaZulu-Natal, was targeted while awaiting changeover into Danskraal Yard. Suspects cut a seal on a wagon carrying vehicles. One suspect was arrested after attempting to steal a spare wheel and accessories.

In another incident, five suspects were arrested at Bloemhof-Hoopstad, in the North West, on the N12 highway by SAPS members after receiving a tip-off to intercept a suspicious vehicle.

Copper cable with a street value of about R60 000 was found inside the vehicle.

Additionally, acting on a tip-off in the North West province, police arrested four men who were found with pieces of catenary wire. The suspects have been charged with the illegal possession of essential infrastructure and violating the Immigration Act.

They were detained at the Bloemhof police station.

Further, in the Western Cape, two incidents were reported on September 9. In the first incident, security officers stopped a vehicle near the Huguenot Tunnel, following the close monitoring of the vehicle.

The driver was arrested while his passengers fled the scene. Officers recovered a significant amount of burnt Coax Copper Cable in the vehicle, which weighed about 300 kg. The suspect was charged in terms of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act at the Rawsonville SAPS.

In the second incident at nearby Bellville, Transnet security personnel caught a suspect tampering with essential infrastructure shortly after midnight. They contacted the Rapid Rail Police Unit (RRPU) and the suspect was arrested.

Meanwhile, on September 10, at Swartkops, in Gqeberha, security officers reported five suspects in the vicinity of several locomotives.

They alerted SAPS and the RRPU and, subsequently, five suspects were apprehended on four different locomotives and taken to the Swartkops police station.

“These arrests demonstrate our work to curb the prevalence of vandalism and essential infrastructure theft within our network. They are part of our focused approach to enhance our stakeholder collaboration and hold our security service providers to a higher performance standard, which is beginning to yield positive results,” Transnet Group CE Michelle Phillips says.

Transnet thanked all stakeholders involved in the arrests.

“We are also grateful to our Transnet security teams who work with all stakeholders on a daily basis to protect the rail network and essential infrastructure,” she says.

All suspects are due to appear in court soon.