FREE STATE – A 43-year-old truck driver was arrested in Bloemfontein for the possession of stolen copper cable following an intelligence-driven operation by the Bloemfontein Flying Squad. The interception on the N1 National Road resulted in the recovery of essential infrastructure cables valued at over R300,000, with ownership confirmed by representatives from Centlec, Telkom, and Eskom.
Acting on operational intelligence regarding a truck suspected of transporting stolen copper cable from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg, law enforcement officials monitored the route. During the early hours of Saturday, 25 July 2026, a white Volvo STRALIS 430 horse pulling two trailers was spotted traveling in the north-bound lane of the N1 National Road.
Police intercepted the vehicle at the rear of a filling station within the Glen Police Station precinct, where a preliminary investigation was immediately initiated. To verify the origin of the cargo, investigators contacted a supervisor from the Centlec (SOC) Ltd low voltage Engineering Wires section. The supervisor positively identified several bags of copper cable found in the truck as Centlec property.
Following this confirmation, the 43-year-old male driver was placed under arrest. During questioning, the suspect informed police that he had traveled from Wadeville, Germiston, to Gemini Scrap Metal on Watkey Street in Oranjesig, with the stated purpose of collecting recyclable cargo.
The vehicle was subsequently escorted to the Bainsvlei Police Station grounds for further processing and investigation. Upon further inspection of the cargo, technicians from Telkom and Eskom identified additional copper cables, bringing the total estimated value of the stolen infrastructure to more than R300,000.
A formal case has been opened at the Glen Police Station. The charges include possession of presumably stolen property, as well as tampering, damaging, or destroying essential infrastructure in terms of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act 18 of 2015.
The 43-year-old suspect remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court in the near future.
