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A man convicted of cable theft has been sentenced to a decade in prison.
Nelson Carlos Balane (35) was sentenced to 10 years in prison at the Oudtshoorn Regional Court on Thursday.
The vehicle was also declared seized from the state and was declared unfit to possess a firearm, according to Hawks spokesman Lt. Col. Philani Nkwalase.
Balane became a suspect after police detained him in a random search and arrest operation seven years ago, on April 17, 2013.
He sped up and a chase ensued. Finally, he abandoned his Toyota Hilux bakkie and fled on foot.
R100,000 worth of Telkom copper cables were stolen inside the vehicle, Nkwalase said.
“An arrest warrant was issued against Balane and the Western Cape Hawks Serious Organized Crime investigation team tracked him down and arrested him on May 15, 2014 in Benoni. His bail request was successfully rejected and was [held] in custody until his conviction and sentence on Thursday, “said Nkwalase.
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