POTCHEFSTROOM – Norobert Ngwa (28) who was granted R1000-00 bail upon appearance in the in the Potchefstroom Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 19 May 2021, for possession of copper cables following his arrest and detention during the Second-Hand Goods Act compliance inspection operation on Tuesday, 18 May 2021.

The operations were conducted between Tuesday, 18 and Thursday, 20 May 2021 in the policing precincts of Potchefstroom, Orkney, Stilfontein and Klerksdorp by various South African Police Service (SAPS) units from both the Province and Head Office working together with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), Telkom, Eskom and Transnet.

Ngwa was arrested in Potchefstroom after being found in possession of 6.5 kilograms of Eskom earth mark copper plates worth R7000.00. The accused will make his second court appearance on Monday, 07 June 2021.

Subsequent to compliance inspections conducted at 24 motor vehicle dealers, 23 Scrap metal dealer and recyclers, 23 cellular phones shops as well as two pawn shops, a total of 31 non-compliance fines worth R57 000.00 were issued for various contraventions of the Second-Hand Goods Act, 2009 (Act No. 6 of 2009). In addition, a Second-Hand Goods Certificate was confiscated after the dealer abandoned the place.

Source: South African Police Service