Hundreds jailed for many years for stealing copper, gold and diamonds

As law-enforcement officers struggle to halt the rampant theft of precious metal and copper, often stolen from infrastructure, police have recorded some successes. 

In the period spanning the 2018/19 and 2021/22 financial years, 429 suspects were arrested for crimes involving precious metals and diamonds, while 59 were convicted.

The nonferrous metals stolen — alloys that do not contain iron — are worth a total of R55m.

Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya on Wednesday listed some of the many crimes as part of the 45 high-priority crimes the Hawks were investigating over the past four years. Some of the highlight include:

Case 31. Three arrested over copper worth R4.6m

Vernon van der Mescht was arrested in Krugersdorp on February 7 2022 for 42 copper blisters worth about R4.6m. The owners of P&P Commodities, former boxing champ Pierre Coetzer and Pieter Venter, handed themselves over to the Hawks and they were subsequently charged. The case is set down for September 6, 8 and 13 in the Johannesburg high court for trial.

Case 32: 16 Years in jail for copper cable thief

In July 2012, it was discovered that Transnet copper cables at the Estcourt tower had been stolen. An investigation led to the arrest of Ronald George in May 2016. After numerous court appearances, he pleaded guilty nearly six years later. On March 15 2022, the Durban regional court sentenced him to 26 years (of which 10 was suspended) for theft of Transnet copper cables worth R333,000, money laundering, racketeering activity and malicious damage to property.

Case 33. Transnet officials steal copper cables 

Between February 18 and May 3 2021, nine people were arrested for stealing copper cables worth about R1.9m and tampering with or damaging essential infrastructure.

The suspects included Transnet employees of Koedoespoort depot, Silverton, and scrapyard owners.

They are out on bail and are expected back in the Pretoria magistrate’s court on September 26.

According to police, in the past four years 1,186 suspects were arrested for stealing precious metals and diamonds and, of those, 219 suspects were convicted. Precious metal and diamonds to the value of R140m was involved.

Some of the biggest cases include:

Case 34. Orkney illegal mining activity dismantled 

On October 21 2021, 87 suspects were arrested, eight wounded and six fatally wounded during a shoot-out with members of the Special Task Force assisted by the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit in North West during an intelligence operation.

A multidisciplinary team descended on the identified shaft where they were met with the suspects’ gunfire. The team returned fire. One police officer was wounded. The team seized two minibuses, illegal mining paraphernalia, gold-bearing material, 11 illegal firearms and bags of food. The alleged kingpin was later arrested and all will be back in court on September 6 with another leader for a total of 89 accused.

Case 35. Hefty sentence for gold-in-transit heist 

On February 8 2019, a security vehicle transporting gold concentrate was ambushed by a group armed with high-calibre firearms.

The suspects fled with about R35m in gold concentrate. One security officer was injured during the incident. A vehicle used during the robbery was abandoned in the Stilfontein area. On March 26 2019, Thulani Lushaba was arrested in Germiston. On January 21 2022, he was convicted and sentenced on charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder and theft of a motor vehicle by the Stilfontein regional court. He was sentenced to 32 years’ imprisonment.   

Case 36. R39m worth of gold forfeited to the state

In a Springs case reported in June 2019, the Hawks seized R39m in gold which was later forfeited to the state and auctioned. The money was deposited into the fiscus on February 3 2021.

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