LIMPOPO — A 31-year-old man is in custody after police in Thabazimbi uncovered 50 rounds of live ammunition and 20 rolled copper cables concealed in his backpack during a joint security operation on Friday, 07 August 2026.
The arrest took place at approximately 21:10 when officers from the Thabazimbi policing precinct, working alongside Task Team members deployed from Hoopdal, Northam, and Dwaalboom, stopped and searched the suspect as he carried a black backpack through the area.
According to police, the search revealed the 50 live rounds of ammunition and the 20 rolls of copper cable in the man’s possession. He was detained at the scene without incident.
Authorities have since registered a criminal case covering both the illegal possession of ammunition and the possession of copper cables, offences that have become a growing enforcement priority across Limpopo as infrastructure theft continues to strain service delivery.
Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Jan Scheepers, welcomed the arrest and publicly commended the officers involved for their vigilance while carrying out routine operational duties in the precinct.
The suspect is scheduled to appear before the Thabazimbi Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, where formal charges are expected to be put to him.
Police confirmed that investigations into the matter are ongoing as detectives work to establish the origin of the ammunition and determine whether the copper cables are linked to recent infrastructure theft in the region.
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