Brazen cable thieves arrested on busy Durban road

Metro Police arrested two cable thieves on a busy Durban road.

A municipal official saw the men and ‘raised the alarm’

According to a post by the eThekwini Municipality, the duo were intercepted by police after a municipal official ‘raised the alarm’. The brazen thieves were caught stealing cables in broad daylight.

The incident occurred on Margaret Mncadi Avenue. The Municipality says a police van was dispatched and the cable thieves were caught red-handed. The arrest was made within 10 minutes by Metro Police officers.

“A police van was dispatched and the suspects were caught red-handed,”

the Municipality said.

Social media responds to the incident

Alec Stafford said:

“It’s wrong that they were doing this, and they do deserve criminal action being taken against them, but from the images, they also look like they are one of the many down trodden who beg at countless intersections, and I can’t help but feel some sadness that we have people in such condition. But, a crime is a crime, and it deserves punishment!”

Louise Ambler Weideman wrote:

“EThekwini Municipality… this is a suggestion. What about searching Scrap dealers’ yards for your cabling, and arresting THEM for buying your cables from people?”

Mbuso Butholezwe Buthelezi suggested:

“They (cable thieves) must be asked; who is their regular customer – scrap yard – because surely there is already their reliable buyer. That yard must be confronted so that they think twice before buying these metals.”

WATCH: Fury unleashed as residents catch cable thieves red-handed

Meanwhile, it was reported that residents recently caught the two cable thieves red-handed in a ditch and unleashed fury onto them.

Several residents are seen in the video confronting the two cable thieves before they start beating them with a sambok and knob kierie. And this was all caught on camera.

According to reports on social media, the incident happened in Cape Town. Read the full story here.