State-owned logistics company Transnet commends law enforcement agencies following the arrest of two fuel theft suspects in Rustenburg, North West, over the weekend.
The two suspects were apprehended while extracting diesel from the pipeline to a petrol tanker.
The pipeline is classified as essential infrastructure, therefore tampering, or colluding to tamper, is a Schedule 5 offence in terms of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act, states Transnet.
The arrest, which is the second in three weeks, was achieved through a joint security initiative between the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), national crime intelligence, the South African Police Service and Transnet’s security officials.
In relation to the theft of fuel, 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.
Transnet calls on all its stakeholders to join the fight against petroleum theft by reporting any suspicious bakkies, tankers or activity near the company’s infrastructure.