State-owned Transnet Pipelines (TPL) has welcomed the ten years’ imprisonment sentence handed down last week to a person for tampering with critical pipeline infrastructure and the theft of about 40 000 ℓ of petrol.

The sentence by the Evander regional court on September 9 dates back to July 2, 2022, when TPL’s control centre detected a pressure drop on the Secunda–Kendal fuel pipeline, which prompted TPL’s security service provider Bidvest Protea Coin (BPC) to mobilise teams that immediately investigated the pressure drop.

During the response, security personnel identified a fuel tanker and an accompanying vehicle travelling from the vicinity of the affected pipeline infrastructure.

The tanker was followed as it travelled towards the N17. When security teams attempted to intercept it, the driver failed to stop and attempted to evade the security personnel.

The driver and a passenger subsequently abandoned the tanker and attempted to flee on foot before both were apprehended by BPC security personnel.

Investigations established that about 40 000 ℓ of unleaded petrol, valued at R1.07-million, had been stolen from the TPL pipeline.

The full volume of stolen product was recovered and returned to TPL.

The ten-year sentence was handed down for tampering with essential infrastructure, ten years for theft of fuel and one year for transporting dangerous goods without the required licence or permit. The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently, resulting in an effective ten-year term of imprisonment.

“This conviction sends a strong message that the theft of fuel and crimes against critical infrastructure are serious offences that will not go unpunished. The successful prosecution of this matter reinforces our commitment to safeguarding TPL’s assets and ensuring accountability where criminal conduct occurs,” says TPL CE Sibongiseni Khathi.

TPL continues to work closely with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the South African Police Service, the National Prosecuting Authority and TPL’s security service provider BPC to investigate fuel theft, protect critical pipeline infrastructure and support the successful prosecution of offenders.