An illegal immigrant Norman Tava (33) was sentenced to 20 yours imprisonment in the Bloemfontein Magistrate court on Friday (18/08) because of theft of infrustructure.
Tava was found guilty of stealing Transnet copper cable.
This come after he was arrested on 14 November 2022 when the police received information of a truck transporting copper cable on the N1 Highway. The vehicle was stopped by the Bloemfontein Flying Squat on the N1 and upon stopping, the passenger jumped out and ran away, while the driver was arrested.
The police confiscated 1 460 kg of copper wire to the value of R33 509. Transnet confirmed the total replacement value of around R1,2 million. The copper was stolen in the Eastern Cape.
Warrant Officers Elaisa Mohatsi and Johan Engelbrecht from the Organised Crime Unit investigated the case.
The court rejected Tava’s version that it was the passanger transporting the items and that he was not aware that it was copper cables.
He was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for theft from infrastructure as well as a fine of R100 or 30 days imprisonment for being an illegal immigrant. He was also declared unfit to posses a firearm.
