A truck driver and his alleged accomplice have been arrested after police intercepted their truck carrying suspected stolen copper cable valued at more than R1.8 million on the N1 highway.
The arrests followed a swift operation by off-duty members of the Fezile Dabi District Infrastructure Task Team in the Free State after receiving intelligence about a truck transporting copper cable from Welkom.
According to police, officers were on their rest days when they received information on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, at around 19:00. The tip-off indicated that a truck loaded with copper cable had left Welkom and was expected to collect additional copper cable from a scrapyard in Kroonstad before heading towards Gauteng.
Acting on the information, the team immediately mobilised and tracked down the vehicle. The truck was spotted travelling on the N1 and was intercepted shortly after passing the Vaal Toll Plaza.
During an initial inspection, officers discovered bags containing copper cable inside one of the truck’s containers. The vehicle and its occupants were then escorted to Sasolburg SAPS for further investigation.
A more thorough search at the police station allegedly uncovered additional copper cable concealed in a second container beneath bags filled with crushed aluminium cans.
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Police estimate the value of the recovered copper cable at more than R1.8 million.
Two male suspects, aged 27 and 59, were arrested. They are expected to face charges related to tampering with and damaging essential infrastructure, possession of suspected stolen property, and possession of suspected stolen copper cable.
The suspects are expected to appear in the Parys Magistrate’s Court.
Copper cable theft remains a major challenge in South Africa, frequently disrupting critical infrastructure and costing businesses, municipalities and state-owned entities millions of rand in repairs and lost services.
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