A group of South Africans have been caught stealing the metal tracks of a railway line from Johannesburg to Nigel a gold mining town in the Guateng province.
Five men were arrested after being caught attempting to steal the tracks by security guards surveying the area at the time. It is thought that the thieves have cause around £1.3 million worth of damage after stealing 10km of the rail line, reportedly worth $120,000 on the scrap metal market.
Thumbu Mahlangu, a member of the Ekurhuleni mayoral committee for roads and transport, stated that the metal thieves had used blowtorches to cut the track leading and added that “They’re experts. Where they’re cutting, they’re not making mistakes”
No trains are able to leave the train depot as a result of the robbery and several trains are now stuck.
It is unknown how the group were able to pull off such an elaborate heist while initially going unnoticed.
The government announced that it will take responsibility for the repairs to the railway line, in a meeting on Monday, although they are unsure when work will begin.
