Three arrested for theft of Eskom assets

Cape Town - Three suspects were taken into custody in Gauteng last week for trying to sell copper cables and overhead conductor belonging to power utility Eskom.

The arrests came after Eskom security, Eskom crime prevention partners and the Hawks followed a tip-off regarding employees selling scrap cables at a local scrap metals dealer.

Following the arrests, items to the value of an estimated R7 000 were found at a scrap metals dealer. This included 400kg of aluminium overhead conductor, 1 030kg of Eskom steel structure and 32.9kg of stripped copper cable.

The power utility is plagued by network equipment theft. "The value of material stolen remains a serious concern, as it is indicative of organised, syndicate-driven criminal activity in the conductor theft environment, which is also experienced by other state-owned enterprises," said Eskom in a statement on Wednesday.

An official case of possession of stolen Eskom property has been registered with Krugersdorp police. The courts are taking equipment theft seriously and significant sentences are being handed out to perpetrators, said Eskom.