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AS PART of efforts to combat infrastructure-related crime, the Northern Cape High Court has issued a final forfeiture order for a vehicle used in the theft of copper cables, underscoring law enforcement’s intensified efforts to combat the pervasive issue of copper cable theft.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, in collaboration with the Asset Forfeiture Unit, successfully secured the order against Jefta Chikwanhandze, 38. In December 2023, Upington police responded to a theft complaint from a local farm and discovered a silver Ford Focus near the crime scene. A search of the vehicle revealed stolen copper cables, leading to the immediate arrest of Chikwanhandze and his accomplice, Joe Mkanya, 33. The seized vehicle, valued at R48,000, has now been forfeited to the state.
Hawks provincial spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Tebogo Thebe emphasised the significance of this legal action, stating that it serves as a stern warning to those involved in infrastructure crimes.
The criminal investigation into the matter remains ongoing.