Security lapse exposed

Police intelligence failures and major gaps in the security of steel giant ArcelorMittal – a national key point – were exposed after the High Court in Joburg last week ordered the return of 9.2 tons of supposedly stolen copper seized in Vanderbijlpark recently.

But more than half of the haul – five tons – had in turn been stolen from Vanderbijlpark ArcelorMittal premises since being transported there by the police following the raid on Envirocycle recently in the same Vaal town, Vaalweekblad has learned.

Envirocycle is also planning to sue for damages after its Vanderbijlpark branch was shut down with major financial and business losses following the high-profile police raid, said Envirocycle attorney Ulrich Kruger.

The site is now open for business.

Lawyers acting for ArcelorMittal have now written to Kruger – who last week obtained an urgent high court order for the return of the 9.2 tons of copper – saying it cannot return five tons as it was stolen from its own premises.

Now that ArcelorMittal and the police cannot return the full 9.2 tons, Envirocycle attorneys said they were this week awaiting from both parties their formal plan on how to proceed.

Kruger, from Johannesburg legal firm BDK Attorneys, confirmed this to Vaalweekblad this week.

“We also await confirmation from ArcelorMittal that they have laid criminal charges on the theft of five tons of the original 9.2 tons of copper from their own premises after being transported there by the police,” said Kruger.

ArcelorMittal has reportedly set up a special task team to investigate the issue, which has embarrassed the police and Africa’s largest steel company.

They both have refused to comment.

It has exposed massive intelligence failures by the police on their original raid, as well as major gaps in the security of ArcelorMittal.

ArcerlorMittal’s spokesperson said this showed the seriousness of copper theft and criminality. “We have opened a criminal case.”