A man who told police he was transporting copper wire was arrested when his explanation for having it wrapped up in a duvet cover in his vehicle was not supported by his employer.
Police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said the Fort Brown police were conducting an integrated anti-rhino-poaching vehicle check point on the R67, with local rangers and the vehicle identification unit on Friday 7 July 2017, when a team member stopped a vehicle travelling from Alice to Port Elizabeth.
Searching the truck, officers found a roll of copper wire tucked inside a duvet cover. Both truck and the copper were seized and the driver was asked to provide documentation to support his claim that he was transporting the copper.
“While awaiting information, investigators simultaneously contacted the company the suspect worked for, as well as Eskom,” Govender said.
“When the suspect arrived to claim the company vehicle, he was arrested, as the information that he had supplied was unsupported.”
The 47-year-old man was arrested and detained for possession of suspected stolen property. He will appear in the Magistrate’s Court in Grahamstown this week.
