On Thursday, more than 500 meters of abandoned power lines were found in Germiston.
Officers from the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) on Thursday harassed suspected cable thieves who were digging a trench in Germiston and seized more than 500 meters of electrical cable.
According to EMPD spokesman Lt. Col. Kelebogile Thepa, officers were patrolling the area when they saw a group of men running in different directions on Johann Rissik Drive. They also saw exposed electrical wires on the ground, he said.
“On closer inspection, the officers realized that the lawbreakers were busy digging a ditch and when they saw the law enforcement officers, they disappeared into thin air. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Cable Theft Unit Ekurhuleni was summoned to the scene,” Thepa added.
More than 500 m of cable were seized and taken to the nearest power department building.
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No arrests were made.
News24 previously reported that parts of the township were plagued by cable thefts.
CLOCK | ‘Looks like a graveyard’: Safety concerns at Reiger Park as cable thieves dig trenches
In Reiger Park, residents expressed fear that children could fall into gaping holes and trenches left by cable thieves. The community has faced the impact of cable theft for a year.
In Johannesburg, there were more than 150 incidents of cable theft and vandalism in December alone, City Power spokesman Isaac Mangena previously told News24.
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