Bellville's battle against the plague of water meter theft was given a hupstoot after a man was arrested on suspicion of buying stolen meters.
The communities of Boston, Oakdale and surrounding areas have been experiencing a scourge of water meter theft for the past few months.
However, swift action from officers saw a 25-year-old foreign national arrested on Wednesday at an informal settlement near the Tiennie Meyer bridge in Bellville.
Police spokesperson, Captain F.C Van Wyk says the suspect was caught in possession of copper cables and water meter fittings, but no actual water meters.
A scale used to weigh the copper was confiscated as well.
“This office can confirm that a 25-year-old male person was arrested on a charge of possession of stolen property (on Wednesday) at about 06:30 at the shacks at Tienie Meyer,” Van Wyk says.
The Bellville Community Police Forum (CPF) has welcomed the arrest.
CPF chairperson Emre Uygun says the swift action taken by Captain Van Der Sandt and Captain Hawkins, led to the successful arrest.
“We appreciate the dedication and collaboration between Saps and the community in bringing perpetrators to justice.”
The suspect is expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrates Court today.
Meanwhile, the notorious water meter thief who has been operating in Boston and Oakdale is also back on the street.
The man was arrested in April after he was found in possession of six stolen water meters by Bellville police in De La Haye Avenue.
The Daily Voice has previously seen CCTV footage which shows the man removing a water meter from outside a Bellville residence before making his way down the empty street.
Between July 2022 and May 2023, the City had to pay R3,9 million to replace around 2 255 stolen water meters.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za