Four arrested for cable theft in Krabi

Krabi police yesterday (June 28) have arrested two men and two women for stealing communication cabling. They say that they are having to steal cabling as the rubber price is too low. The two men work as rubber tappers from the south.

Krabi City Police arrested the four thieves – 38 year old Chartchai Sittidamrong, 27 year old Boonpitak Coonrueang, both are from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, 34 year old Wanida Choosang from Trang and 29 year old Pennapa Chaiyapon from Krabi.

Police seized 40 metres of cable which had already been cut.

Noppong Bedsed, a technician of TOT says, “Thieves have stolen communication cable belonging to the TOT company. Cables in six districts of Krabi have been stolen valued at around a million baht.”

Krabi Police Capt Payongsak Krueajan says, “We were notified by locals that two men were cutting cable behind the Krabi Bus Terminal in Krabi City.”

“We arrived at the scene to find a man climbing up a power pole while another man was waiting on the ground. They admitted that there were two women waiting n a pickup truck 50 metre away to help transport the stolen cabling.”

“Pennapan, waiting in the pick-up, told us that she would receive 2,000 baht for using her new pick-up truck to carry this cable. She says she did not realise that they were stealing the cabling. She needed money to take her child for holidays. She said it was her first time.”

“Chartchat told us that he is a rubber tapper. The rubber price has decreased causing hardship for his family. He doesn’t have enough money for his living. He was going to take the copper inside the cabling to sell for 140 baht per kilogram. This time, if he wasn’t caught, he would have got at least 5,000 baht for selling the copper. ”

They were all taken to Krabi City Police Station where they have been charged with theft.