Police pounce on cellphone tower battery theft syndicate

Police have arrested five suspects belonging to one of South Africa’s largest battery theft syndicates, mobile operator Vodacom said on Thursday.

Vodacom’s national security team, working with the South African Police Service, was able to apprehend the suspects “through an intelligence-driven operation”. The operation also drew in officers from the Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni metropolitan police departments.

“The successful arrest of members belonging to one of the largest syndicates stealing batteries nationally follows an incident at the Middelburg R35 base station sites in Mpumalanga where Vodacom’s lithium batteries were stolen. Suspects had managed to flee before local police arrived on the scene,” the operator said in a statement.

“The following day, using advanced intelligence systems, Vodacom ascertained that the suspects were on route to Gauteng and the telco’s national security engaged law enforcement in Gauteng for assistance in pursuing the suspects. The operation led to a property in Turffontein where they apprehended suspects on the scene.”

The suspects were linked to various cases of battery theft and vandalism across South Africa’s nine provinces, it said. Vodacom batteries stolen in Mpumalanga were recovered at the scene in addition to rounds of 9mm ammunition and house-breaking implements.

“We are not resting on our laurels. We are fighting back and the clear message that we want to send to thieves is that you will be caught and you will be prosecuted,” said Johan van Graan, Vodacom’s group chief risk officer.

‘Caught and prosecuted’

“That we were able to use our systems to track the movements of the members of the syndicate from Mpumalanga to Gauteng demonstrates the efficacy of the hi-tech systems and technologies we have adopted to stem the tide of battery theft. We are constantly implementing new technologies to make sure that the thieves are caught and prosecuted.”

The suspects apprehended at the scene were linked to various cases of battery theft and vandalism across the country. “Through this arrest we are making inroads into one of the biggest syndicates operating inside the country. We are using all the means at our disposal to protect our base stations…”

Vodacom said it is losing R120-million to vandalism and theft a year. “More importantly than the monetary impact, criminals are cutting off entire communities.”

MTN South Africa said on Wednesday that seven suspects had been arrested in separation operation, while a total of 55 batteries recovered in recent days. Four vehicles with tools were confiscated in a series of operations across the country, it said.

“In one of the biggest hauls to date, members of the police arrested a suspect at Beit Bridge in possession of 32 batteries. His vehicle, including a trailer, was also impounded.”

In a separate operation in Greytown in Kwa-Zulu Natal, three suspects were apprehended after a tip-off while they were still inside the perimeter of the base station, MTN said.

Two vehicles with false licence plates were recovered at the scene, including the tools the suspects used to break in. The suspects were detained and have been positively linked to other cases, MTN said. – © 2020 NewsCentral Media