Gqeberha – Police have recovered suspected stolen copper and mixed metal worth an estimated R20 million and arrested three suspects during an operation in Algoa Park.
The arrests followed a police operation on Wednesday evening, 2 September 2026, after officers received information about a truck allegedly transporting stolen property.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the truck was parked at an overnight truck stop along Uitenhage Road when police members responded to the tip-off and conducted a search.
“Members responded immediately and searched the truck, where they discovered multiple bulk sling bags containing copper and mixed metal,” SAPS said.
Police recovered five bulk sling bags containing copper weighing 2 529.573kg, as well as eight bags containing 4 086kg of mixed metal. The combined value of the recovered material is estimated at R20 million.
Further investigations with Telkom and Eskom confirmed that the copper cables belonged to the two state-owned entities.
Two suspects, aged 21 and 43, were arrested for possession of suspected stolen property.
A third suspect, aged 46, was arrested for allegedly tampering with, damaging or destroying essential infrastructure in terms of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act.
SAPS said the recovery highlighted the serious consequences of the theft and illegal trade in copper and other essential infrastructure.
“Theft and illegal trade in copper and other essential infrastructure can disrupt electricity and telecommunications services, affect businesses and communities, and result in substantial costs to repair damaged infrastructure,” the police said.
The arrests form part of Operation Ukubuza, which SAPS said continues to produce positive results in the fight against infrastructure-related crimes.
The three suspects are expected to face criminal charges as investigations continue.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
