Five suspects were arrested during a multidisciplinary operation led by the Hawks at scrap dealers around Mpumalanga on Monday.
Hawks spokesperson Capt Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi said the team, which included members from Transnet and Eskom, went to Scrap Monkey metal dealer at Old Middelburg Road in Emalahleni where a search was executed.
The team allegedly found an Eskom pylon weighing 740kg, a 350m long Eskom cable and burnt copper weighing 98.5kg.
“The suspect, who is the lawful owner of Monkey scrap metal, Beatrice Geldenhys, 40, was arrested. The accused appeared before the Witbank Magistrate Court today and she was granted R5,000 bail and the case was postponed to August 5 for further investigation.”
Sekgotodi said the team then proceeded to JE&M scrap metal at Kendal where copper cable weighing 44kg was seized and three suspects were arrested and charged with possession of suspected stolen property in terms of the Second Hands Goods Act.
The team arrested Takalani Nndweleni, 44, at another scrap metal place where copper weighing 72kg was seized.
Raputsoe Taoana, 29, Prince William Mbanzini, 29, Lawrence Makhinika, 30, and Nndweleni appeared before the Ogies magistrate's court on Wednesday and they were remanded in custody.
The case was postponed until July 12 for a formal bail application.
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