Truck driver who ‘swopped’ coal destined for Arnot power station nabbed, says Eskom

A truck driver allegedly caught swopping coal destined for an Eskom power station has been arrested, the power utility said on Tuesday.

The incident happened on Saturday at around 10.10pm after an Eskom security investigations tactical team spotted a truck loaded with coal destined for Arnot power station entering a coal yard in Middelburg.

"The truck left the coal yard after about an hour and the members followed it as it drove to Arnot power station. On arrival at Arnot, the truck joined the queue to offload coal.

"The investigations team checked and discovered the coal due to be offloaded was discarded coal containing stones, which confirmed the suspected coal swopping witnessed at the Middleburg coal yard."

The driver was questioned and confessed he sold the coal loaded at a mine in eMakhazeni (formerly Belfast) and destined for Arnot for R6,000.

He was arrested by the Hawks' Middelburg-based unit and processed at the local police station. 

Commenting on the investigations unit's work, Eskom's acting general manager for security Botse Sikhwitshi said: "We commend the group security investigations and Hawks team for working tirelessly together in bringing coal thieves to book. There is tangible evidence to ensure a successful prosecution of the suspect.

"The delivery of poor quality coal often leads to unit breakdowns and cannot be tolerated. We hope the perpetrator, once convicted, faces the harshest possible sentence to serve as a deterrent to others."

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