An alert Musina policeman, Const Ramayane, arrested two suspects, a 32-year-old South African and a 24-year-old illegal Zimbabwean immigrant after intercepting their vehicle, an Isuzu bakkie, which was loaded with a huge consignment of copper wire stashed in several mealie-meal bags, police said.

The Musina SAPS spokeswoman, Const Deborah Bob, said the two suspects were arrested on Wednesday last week at the R. Ned Trading metal scrap yard, situated in the industrial area in Musina.

"Const Ramayane was visiting R.Ned Trading scrap yard when he spotted a white Isuzu bakkie loaded with mealie-meal bags containing copper wire. He then asked the owner of the car to produce a license," she said.

However, the suspects reportedly failed to produce the required license, leading to their arrest.

"We suspect the copper wire was stolen since the two suspects failed to produce the trading licence and that resulted in their being arrested," Bob said.

The two suspects, Johan Opperman, a South African, and Trust Ndou, an illegal immigrant from Zimbabwe, have since appeared at the Musina magistrate’s court on charges of illegal possession of copper wire.

Opperman is out on R10 000 bail while Ndou was denied bail and the case was postponed to 10 August.