The City of Cape Town’s Metals Theft Unit, commonly known as the ‘Copperheads’, arrested eight suspects on charges of metal theft after they were ‘caught in the act’ while attempting to steal City water pipes on Friday, 16 September 2011.
After receiving a tip-off from a member of the public, the Copperheads investigated reports of suspicious activity in the open field which runs parallel to the Wingfield Naval Base and 18th Avenue in Kensington.
At the scene, officers found a group of suspects digging up the land, which is City of Cape Town property. They had dug a trench which ran approximately 300m in length and 2m in depth in order to steal underground water pipes. It appears that they had been digging for about two weeks, but their activity had only recently been noticed and reported by residents.
Officers recovered six pipes (of 6m in length), seven spades and a sledgehammer during the operation.
The City’s Water and Sanitation Department has closed the hole and the Copperheads will continue patrols in the area.
In a separate incident, City Law Enforcement Officers arrested a suspect on charges of possession of stolen property and housebreaking yesterday, 18 September 2011. The officers recovered a purse, jewellery and an iPad which had been stolen from a Clifton home.
