Cape Town - The proactive steps of Goodwood residents to curb metals and steel theft in the suburb were already yielding results with the arrest of four suspects at the weekend.
The suspects were caught red-handed after a Glenwood resident saw suspicious activity next to the railway line and reported this to the Glenwood NHW.
The suspects were arrested with working tools (spades and relevant cable theft tools) and cables with an estimated value of R15 000.
Last month, Goodwood Ratepayers and Residents association raised concerns over the increased metal and cable theft in the area, calling on residents to be on the lookout.
Police spokesperson Wesley Twiggs said the suspects, between the ages of 36 and 45, were arrested on charges of malicious damage to property and tampering with infrastructure.
The association’s chairperson, Faizel Petersen, said cable stripping along the train line had crippled the railway infrastructure on the northern line for years. He said the level of boldness had increased recently.
Metrorail regional manager Richard Walker said Metrorail’s efforts to deliver a quality service were being destroyed daily by senseless attacks – not only on lines and infrastructure but on all users of high voltage electricity such as Transnet and the City.
Walker said the criminals had learnt a lesson that Prasa security, railway police, private security and most especially, neighbourhood watches and communities would not allow the destruction and criminality targeting rail infrastructure.