Two people were allegedly caught in possession of Transnet property worth R25 million during a sting operation at a steel and manufacturing company in Alberton on Thursday.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu said in a statement that a multi-disciplinary operation by the Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit, provincial Crime Intelligence and Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department, supported by Transnet, resulted in the "swift arrest of plant and operations managers of a steel and manufacturing company in Alberton for possession of infrastructure material".
The arrest followed intelligence on suspicious non-ferrous metals that were allegedly scheduled to be recycled at the steel and manufacturing company, Mulamu said.
Police executed a search and seizure warrant and seized items identified as belonging to Transnet. Some of the items included big trail jumpers, contact wires, overhead cables, railway tracks and springs worth an estimated R25 million.
The two people who were arrested, aged 45 and 28, have been charged with the contravention of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act 18 of 2015 and Second Hand Goods Act 6 of 2009.