Joint security efforts between Transnet Pipelines and law enforcement authorities continue to yield positive results with more fuel theft arrests, Transnet said in a statement on July 28.
Three suspects were arrested in the Mpumalanga province at the weekend after being caught with R1.4-million worth of diesel.
Transnet has collaborated with Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), National Crime Intelligence and the South African Police Services (SAPS) to deal with the scourge of fuel theft in the country.
The arrests at the weekend come after two theft incidents took place on the Transnet multiproduct pipeline, between Ladysmith and Van Reenen, in KwaZulu-Natal, and between Alrode and Langlaagte, in Gauteng.
The incident in KwaZulu-Natal resulted in an extensive diesel spillage, the quantum of which is currently being determined. Transnet has deployed teams to focus on containing the spillage and to repair the pipeline.
Transnet urges all petroleum retailers and members of the public to refrain from buying fuel from unregistered traders to curb the demand for illegal petroleum products.
It also called on all its stakeholders to join the fight against petroleum theft by reporting any suspicious bakkies, tankers or activity near the company’s infrastructure.