A suspected copper thief that was arrested in Phoenix.
Image: Supplied
A suspected copper thief was arrested in Phoenix after attempting to sell 80kg of stolen copper, believed to have originated from the Durban Port area.
Local scrapyard dealers tipped off authorities, leading to a swift arrest.
Private security officers recovered approximately 80 kilograms of suspected stolen copper at the man’s residence in Campbells Town.
According to KZN VIP Protection Services spokesperson Gareth Naidoo, the arrest followed a tip-off from local scrapyard dealers after the suspect allegedly attempted to sell the raw copper to them.
“KZN VIP received information from local scrapyard dealers after the suspect allegedly attempted to sell the raw copper to them.”
The copper, which is believed to have been stolen from the Durban Port area.
Image: Supplied
Naidoo said preliminary investigations suggest that the copper may have been stolen from sheet material originating from the Durban Port area.
“Upon further investigation, it is believed that the copper was stolen from sheet material originating from the Durban Port area, before being broken into smaller pieces in an attempt to avoid suspicion and facilitate the sale thereof,” he said.
Acting on the information, KZN VIP officers moved quickly to trace the suspect.
“Acting swiftly on the information received, KZN VIP members proceeded to the suspect’s residence in the Redberry Park area, where the suspect was successfully apprehended and the copper recovered,” Naidoo added.
The suspect was later handed over to police for further investigation.