A group of skelms ran out of luck after they were bust while stripping railway cables near Monte Vista in Cape Town on Thursday morning.
Prasa spokesperson in the Western Cape Nana Zenani said the thieves were spotted by security officers who were driving along the N1 from Belville to Cape Town, opposite Monte Vista.
While they driving, security persomnnel noticed a suspect pulling electrical cables next to an informal settlement in the area. The man ran away after he saw the security guards, but left four of his colleagues busy with digging and cutting the cables.
“The suspect proceeded to dump the cable in an attempt to get rid of the evidence and ran away crossing over N1 freeway. The Security team proceeded to investigate the scene of the crime and found an additional four more suspects in the act of illegally digging and pulling Metrorail cables from the ground. One of the suspects jumped over the wall and fled while the other accomplices were caught. The three detained suspects were found with 5m of cable and digging tools,” said Zenani.
The suspect, who had escaped by jumping the fence, did not go far. He was bust by private security guards and neighbourhood watch members in the area. Western Cape Prasa regional manager Richard Walker applauded the joined forces of Prasa security, private security, and the neighbourhood watch.
“Although the joint arrests and apprehensions were not planned, it worked perfectly. The criminals learnt a big lesson that Prasa Security, Railway Police, Private Security and most especially, our Neighbourhood Watch groups and communities will not allow the senseless destruction and criminality against rail infrastructure. That the rule of law and order will prevail” added Walker.
