Twelve suspected cable thieves nabbed in shootout with TMPD
The Tshwane metro police arrested twelve suspected cable thieves in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, on Thursday.
The TMPD said its officers acted on a tip-off and subsequently found four suspects busy digging in a trench.
Earlier this month, the Hawks in Gauteng recovered R50 million worth of copper in Tshwane.
The unit also acted on a tip-off about a syndicate allegedly involved in various criminal activities, including dealing and selling copper in Pretoria.
Metro police spokesperson Isaac Mahamba said the suspects fired shots at the officers.
“The officers managed to apprehend the four culprits, and no one was injured during the shooting. More information led to the arrest of eight more suspects.
“All 12 suspects were arrested for charges of tampering and damaging essential infrastructure and possession of stolen copper. One suspect was also charged for being an illegal immigrant.”
The suspects are expected to appear in court soon.
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