Latest news with #R160
The Citizen
18-05-2025
- The Citizen
City Power is monitoring this weak spot to stop power outages from theft
The utility said the full restoration of the M1 bridge line is expected on Sunday evening. City Power's repairs to cables under the M1 highway bridge in Johannesburg are nearing completion, but have been hit with at least two incidents of vandalism in less than a week. Cable theft last May sparked a fire in the tunnel under the bridge, which damaged key infrastructure, cut the power supply, and covered the CBD in smoke. As of Saturday, three 400-metre high-voltage cables had been replaced, and six high-integrity joints had been installed. The utility said full restoration is expected on Sunday evening. 63 meters of cable were stolen from the M1 corridor earlier this month, with another 80 meters of earthing wire stolen last Sunday. On Wednesday, a suspect was caught near a tunnel entrance with 20 pieces of stolen earthing conductor. 'These essential safety components provide grounding for high-voltage networks, ensuring fault currents dissipate safely and maintaining grid stability. 'Their removal jeopardises safe operations, requiring extensive rework and system testing before energisation proceeds,' explained City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena. ALSO READ: Dozens of Eskom transformers are being stolen, police make key arrest Weak spot identified by City Power Mangena said the utility had ramped up surveillance and patrols, especially near manholes. The holes have been found to be vulnerable and are an increasingly common way to get access to cables. 'Preliminary findings suggest increasing instances of unauthorised access to the tunnel network, particularly through unsecured manholes, highlighting a broader security vulnerability that City Power and its partners are urgently working to address.' This was shown in another incident in the Joburg CBD on Thursday, when a 26-year-old homeless Malawian national reportedly breached a manhole and started hacking at cables underground. 'His arrest followed reports of distressing sounds from within the tunnel, prompting a rapid response from on-site security personnel. 'The suspect, found in possession of a hacksaw, attempted to flee but was swiftly apprehended and booked at Jeppe Police Station, where a case of tampering with critical infrastructure is being investigated,' said Mangena. The cost of cable theft In August, the utility said at least 130 people had been arrested over 12 months for theft and vandalism. Among these were City Power staff members and contractors, including security officers tasked with protecting vital infrastructure. Two months prior, it estimated the cost of losses to cable theft at R160 million for the first six months of 2024 alone. 4 633km of copper cable was stolen between the 2020 financial year to the end of October 2023. A 2023 GI-TOC report, entitled South Africa's Illicit Copper Economy, reported on the extent of cable and copper theft. 'Every day in South Africa, criminal elements strip copper from wherever they can find it, including roads, homes, construction sites, and mines. 'The theft of copper from already ailing infrastructure severely affects the capacity and operations of state-owned entities and municipalities,' it found. NOW READ: Bring in the army! City Power wants military to help fight cable theft crisis
IOL News
13-05-2025
- IOL News
Durban drug bust reveals new trend in illicit drug market
A drug bust on Queen Nandi Drive, Durban has not only removed thousands of heroin capsules from Durban's streets but also highlighted a shift in the province's drug trends, according to police. On Sunday the Durban Metro Police Drug Team, working in collaboration with the Counter Narcotics Unit under KKwaZulu-Natal Crime Intelligence, intercepted an alleged drug distributor at Petroport Northbound. The suspect, a former nightclub owner now allegedly supplying drugs across greater Durban, was caught while reportedly attempting to deliver heroin. Police seized approximately 5,013 heroin capsules (pending final forensic count), a CZ 75 pistol with its serial number filed off, 17 live 9mm rounds, a magazine, and other drugs valued at R160,390. Durban Metro Police spokesperson Boysie Zungu said while heroin remains dangerous and profitable for syndicates, demand for the drug has been decreasing in KwaZulu-Natal due to a shift toward cheaper, more potent alternatives. 'Heroin demand has decreased in KZN due to the increased popularity of crack cocaine (rock), which is now cheaper and more potent,' Zungu said. 'However, drug abuse continues to be a challenge within our communities.' Zungu explained that market dynamics have shifted sharply. 'Previously, a heroin capsule cost R10. With a drastic increase in price due to export problems from supplying countries, heroin prices have shot up to R35 a capsule,' he said. 'This has made heroin capsules more scarce making this bust all the more significant. 'Removing over 5,000 capsules from the street is not just a disruption to supply, but a statement to communities and traffickers that police are taking action,' he said. The suspect faces charges of dealing in and possession of heroin, illegal possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. Police said intelligence gathered during the arrest would assist in further operations. Zungu added: 'While it is difficult to stop drug dealing completely with limited resources, we remain committed to targeting dealers head-on. Community partnerships are key to disrupting the changing drug landscape.' THE MERCURY
The Citizen
05-05-2025
- The Citizen
R360 000 drugs consignment recovered in Point, Petroport
POLICE officers from the Provincial Drugs and Firearms Unit recovered drugs worth an estimated street value of R200 000 in Durban over the weekend. According to police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda, 'Police operationalised intelligence about drugs which were being stored at a storage facility at Point on Friday, and upon searching the premises, a black plastic bag was found, containing crystal meth, ecstasy tablets, rock cocaine and powder suspected to be cocaine. The search for the suspects is underway.' A day later, the Durban Metro Police Drug Team executed a well-co-ordinated intelligence-driven operation targeting a known drug distributor. The suspect was intercepted at Petroport northbound, Queen Nandi Drive, while allegedly attempting to deliver drugs. 'Following thorough surveillance and investigation, a significant breakthrough was achieved. The suspect, a former nightclub owner turned drug supplier for the greater Durban area, was found in possession of a large quantity of heroin and an unlicensed firearm with ammunition. Also read: Police recover over R80 million worth of drugs at Durban Harbour 'Seized items include approximately 5013 heroin capsules (pending final forensic count), CZ 75 pistol (serial number filed off), 17 live 9mm rounds and a magazine. The estimated drug value is R160 390,' shared Durban Metro spokesperson Colonel Boysie Zungu. The suspect is facing multiple charges including, dealing in and possession of heroin, possession of an unlicensed firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. Zungu added, 'This success was the result of collaboration between the Durban Metro Police Service 'Seized items include approximately 5013 heroin capsules (pending final forensic count), CZ 75 pistol (serial number filed off), 17 live 9mm rounds and a magazine. The estimated drug value is R160 390,' shared Durban Metro spokesperson Colonel Boysie suspect is facing multiple charges including, dealing in and possession of heroin, possession of an unlicensed firearm and unlawful possession of added, 'This success was the result of collaboration between theDrug Team and the Counter Narcotics Unit (KZN CI). The Durban Metro Police Service remains committed to dismantling drug networks and protecting our communities from the scourge of drugs.' For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Two dozen subway surveillance cameras stolen from parked trains in Queens
An estimated $12,000 worth of surveillance camera equipment was stolen last weekend from 11 MTA subway cars in Queens, the Daily News has learned. Sources say one or more suspects got away with the cameras and memory systems retrofitted to the cars of an R train after an apparently botched attempt to take the train for a joyride. Sources say the incident was discovered Sunday when crews discovered that two separate R trains parked along a section of lay-up track between the Briarwood and Sutphin Blvd. stations on the F line were touching and had sustained some damage to their couplers. Data recorders on one of the trains — a 10-car set of R160 subway cars — indicate it had been started and moved without authorization on Saturday, apparently before colliding into the second train at low speed. When transit workers boarded the train to try to pull surveillance footage, they discovered that all 22 of the train's surveillance cameras — which had been retrofitted to older model cars like the R160 over the past few years — were missing, along with their memory cards. At least one camera was also stolen from the car on the second train that had been bumped into, sources said. Transit sources told The News that footage on the cards is stored in a proprietary format, and should be unreadable without the MTA's own software. Tim Minton, a spokesman for the transit agency, told The News that the incident was 'under active investigation.' Cops estimated the missing surveillance equipment cost $12,000. The extent of the damage to the trains' couplers was not immediately clear, but sources said the speed of the collision was low. All New York City subway cars have been equipped with security cameras since December, the result of a 2022 directive from Gov. Hochul to retrofit surveillance technology to every subway car in the fleet. 'They're gold — they pay dividends every day,' MTA's head of security, Michael Kemper, said of the surveillance systems Thursday at a subway safety press conference. This weekend's incident is the latest in a spate of subway car break-ins. In January, a group of teens broke into a pair of R trains parked along lay-up tracks in Brooklyn and took them for a joyride. In that instance, the teens either spray-painted or otherwise covered the trains' surveillance cameras.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
G train gets state-of-art, open gangway train — 3 more coming down the line
The first of four state-of-the-art subway trains went into service on the G train Tuesday, a substantial upgrade for the cross-borough line connecting Brooklyn and Queens. The train — which was taken out of service on the C line in order to be deployed on the G line — is one of the few in the system to have a so-called 'open gangway' design, in which all five cars are connected via an articulated section and passengers can move freely between them. The design, known internally as the 'R211T,' was first tested on the C line last year. NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said Tuesday that the design was particularly suited to the G train, where shorter trains stop in the middle of long platforms. 'Everyone that's taken the G train knows the experience of hustling down the platform to make that train,' Crichlow said. 'You get to the last car of the train, and then the train is just a little bit crowded in that one last car. 'No more,' he said. 'Open gangways are open from end to end.' Tuesday also marks the first time that an open gangway car was put into passenger service along a line with a significant elevated portion. Proponents of the design say open gangway cars could reduce incidents of subway surfing by eliminating easy access to the train's exterior. A second five-car R211T train is scheduled to begin running on the G line on Wednesday, and another two are due in service by June — all taken from the two 10-car trains that have up until now been running on the C line. Together, the four five-car trains will account for nearly a third of the 13 trains that typically wear the green 'G' bullet. But while a third of the G train fleet is set to soon be modernized, the remaining nine will continue to be some of the oldest in operation. Crichlow said Tuesday that the MTA is still trying to locate a mysterious track defect that's been wearing out the wheels on R160 train cars running on the E, F and R lines. As first reported by the Daily News, the MTA moved all the modern R160 cars off of the G line in January to backstop the E, F and R lines — which use a computerized signaling system — while those trains' wheels were being repaired. Since the G line is expected to continue using its older signaling system for at least another two years, the MTA has been running older R46 and R68 train sets to free up R160s for the E, F and R lines. In January, transit officials said the measure was temporary, and that the R160 cars would be back on the G by the end of March. Crichlow said Tuesday that that was unlikely. 'The plan at this point is just to introduce the two R211 open gangway [trains] and then within the next two months you'll have an additional two trains,' he said. 'Then the goal is, over the next capital program, the [new] R211s that we will be getting, a portion of them will come to the G line.' Sources familiar with the hunt to find the track defect confirmed to The News Tuesday that the efforts were ongoing, but the source of the wheel wear has yet to be found. The decision to send all 20 of the MTA's open gangway cars to the G train means they will no longer be operating on the C line, at least until more arrive. The transit agency announced last year that it had ordered 80 additional R211Ts as part of a 435-car purchase option from train-builder Kawasaki. Traditional 'closed gangway' R211A cars currently make up the bulk of service on the A and C lines.
