Five people have been arrested in connection with the alleged theft of Vodacom batteries at a cellphone tower in Kruis River in the Eastern Cape.
The men were arrested on Thursday by the Gqeberha-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation team.
The suspects aged between 25 and 29 were charged with essential infrastructure damage.
"Preliminary reports indicate that a Vodacom tower situated at Kruis River was allegedly broken into and four Vodacom batteries were stolen," said Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba, spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as the Hawks).
The Hawks said the suspects were nabbed during a stop-and-search near Addo and Jansenville.
They were traveling in a Datsun Go.
"Upon searching the vehicle, the team discovered that it was transporting undocumented foreign nationals. Further reports indicate that five bags containing burglary tools were recovered. All five suspects were arrested on the spot."
The suspects will appear in the Jansenville Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
In another incident, a Malawian pastor was jailed to 10 years after he was found guilty of running a syndicate that stole batteries from Vodacom and MTN towers between 2021 and 2022.
Mlotha Nelson Usale was sentenced in August 2024.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, said the 59-year-old pastor at God's Chapel Church, would interchange the e-battery management system of batteries to different manufacturers, respray the casings of the battery in an attempt to disguise the true origins of the batteries to make it look like they were commercial solar batteries.
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