Copper thieves' bakkies seized as High Court freezes syndicate's assets
The Hawks and the NPA's Asset Forfeiture Unit have won a preservation order over two vehicles linked to a copper theft case that began with a chase on the R546 near Embalenhle.
Two vehicles linked to a copper theft syndicate in Mpumalanga are now frozen by a High Court preservation order, the Hawks said, in a case that began with a chase on the R546 and ended with an Eskom employee facing charges.
The order, granted by the High Court on 22 October 2026, follows an application by the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit, supported by an asset investigation by the Hawks’ Priority Crime Specialised Investigation. It preserves the assets, believed to have been used in the commission of the crime, pending further forfeiture proceedings.
The case reaches back to 30 September 2024, at about 12:15, when members attached to Charl Cilliers SAPS saw traffic officials pursuing a silver-grey Toyota Hilux GD-6 Legend 50 along the R546 from the Evander Court area towards Embalenhle. According to the police account, the driver allegedly turned onto a private road and lost control, causing the vehicle to overturn.
Traffic officials called for police assistance. On arrival, SAPS members found three adult males getting out of the overturned vehicle, with copper cables scattered around the scene, having been loaded onto the vehicle. Preliminary investigations found the vehicle had earlier drawn the attention of traffic officials at the Kinross Weighbridge after appearing overloaded and suspicious. Instead of complying with instructions to enter the weighbridge, the driver allegedly sped off, triggering a pursuit that ended near the intersection of the R546 and Branden Road.
When questioned, the driver allegedly claimed he had been contracted by an unknown individual to transport the copper cables and had enlisted the two passengers to help load and transport the consignment. All three suspects were arrested, and the Toyota Hilux and the copper cables were seized and registered as exhibits.
Further investigation by the Hawks’ Secunda-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation uncovered additional links to the theft and led investigators to an Eskom employee. The female suspect was subsequently charged, and her blue Opel Corsa hatchback was seized as part of the investigation. The recovered copper cables were positively identified by Eskom as its property and returned to the power utility.
The financial investigation by the Hawks’ PCSI component paved the way for the preservation application. The court granted the order in respect of the Toyota Hilux GD-6 Legend 50 and the Opel Corsa hatchback, so that the vehicles remain preserved pending forfeiture proceedings.
Welcoming the order, the Provincial Head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, Major General Nico Gerber, said the preservation of criminally linked assets sends a message to those targeting the country’s critical infrastructure.
“This preservation order demonstrates that law enforcement is not only closing in on those who steal critical infrastructure, but also on the assets they use to commit these crimes,” he said. “As the saying goes, ‘crime does not pay,’ and today’s outcome reinforces that principle. Copper theft is an attack on the economy, essential services and the livelihood of communities. Through our partnership with the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit, we are ensuring that offenders are stripped of the instruments used to facilitate criminal conduct.”
Gerber said the Hawks remain committed to a whole-of-criminal-justice-system approach, combining criminal investigation, asset forfeiture and prosecution to dismantle networks involved in infrastructure crime.
“We are tightening the net around perpetrators who seek to profit from the country’s infrastructure,” he said. “When criminals target copper cables, they do not merely steal metal. They disrupt electricity supply, undermine economic growth and compromise public safety. The long arm of the law will continue to reach those who believe they can enrich themselves at the expense of communities.”
The Hawks and the NPA said they remain committed to safeguarding South Africa’s critical infrastructure and holding those involved in copper theft and related offences accountable before the courts.
This report is based on the South African Police Service media statement issued by the Hawks’ Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Mpumalanga, available at https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=72125. Enquiries on the statement are directed to Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi on 071 481 3437.
