The theft of metal drain, sewer, fire hydrant and electrical box covers are on the rise, especially in the town of Durbanville.
On the evening of 19 May, in a joint operation between Durbanville SAPS and the City’s Metal Theft Unity, several arrests were made after a large quantity of City metal covers were discovered from a house in Morningstar.
The arrests were made possible thanks to intelligence information supplied by the Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) members and the two Ward Councillors.
According to the City of Cape Town, the modus operandi for these individuals appear to be the stealing of these covers, after which they take them to a house in Morningstar and get aid some cash. The items are then broken up and buried in sand on the property and the road reserve before it is taken to its next destination – the scrap dealer for final sale.
“On 30 April, Ward Councillor Hendri Terblanche contacted Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Alderman Theresa Uys when he tried to get assistance to arrest one the suspects who had two drain covers in a trolley. The suspect got away but fortunately, a member of the NHW had a photograph and could identify the suspect. Alderman Uys contacted the NHW member and residents in Morningstar to confirm his name and the address of the suspected buyer,” the statement read.
SAPS has encouraged the public to report the theft of City property as this will assist them in being able to investigate the case.
A reward of up to R5000 is being offered to anyone who reports any incident or provides information related to the theft and vandalism of water and sanitation infrastructure which leads to the successful arrest and recovery of said stolen property.
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