Four male suspects are currently behind bars for copper theft that was allegedly committed on farms in the Hopetown and Petrusville areas, recently. On 27 September 2018 police followed up on leads of copper theft in progress and arrested the suspects red-handed in a veld close to Deel 4 Farm, near Hopetown, where copper cables were allegedly stolen from an irrigation pump.
Police followed up on more information and found burnt copper cables and copper theft tools buried not far from the scene. The estimated street value of the copper is R30 000. The police are looking at possibly linking one of the suspects to six other copper theft cases in that area. The suspects are known as Masome Molemane (36), Klaas Van Rooyenn(22), Andre Kasper(21) and Kevin Kol(19). The suspects appeared briefly in the Hopetown District Court on Monday, 01 October 2018 and the case is remanded to 08 October 2018 for a formal bail application. The investigation continues.