Copper cable crooks plunge Chon Buri highway into darkness
Police urge public to report any suspicious digging or tampering
Thieves caused a major blackout after digging into a tunnel on a Chon Buri highway to steal copper cables, prompting a police investigation and safety warnings.
The incident was uncovered around 10am on Thursday, October 30, when drivers spotted suspicious activity near the Bangchak gas station U-turn tunnel along Highway 331.
Concerned motorists alerted the police, who quickly dispatched Huay Yai police officers and civil engineering technician Sirikorn Kanthaphrom, head of the Khao Maikaew Highway Maintenance Division, to investigate.
At the scene, officials found clear signs of targeted theft. An iron cover near the base of a streetlight had been pried open, and the ground beneath showed evidence of fresh excavation. Inside, thieves had sliced through and stolen a large copper cable roughly 2 metres in length. Three more copper segments, each about one foot long, had also been removed.
Sirikon confirmed the theft had knocked out streetlights on both sides of the highway, blacking out a stretch approximately 1 kilometre long in each direction.
“This wasn’t an opportunistic theft; it was planned and deliberate. They knew exactly where to dig and what to take.”
The crime not only plunged the area into darkness but also created a significant safety hazard for motorists navigating the now pitch-black stretch of road.
In response, police are calling on the public to stay alert and report any suspicious activity that might resemble cable theft. Officials have released multiple contact options for reporting: the emergency police hotline 191, technician Sirikorn directly at 083-913-9834, or the 24-hour Department of Highways hotline at 1586.
“Every tip helps. We need residents to be our eyes and ears so we can catch those responsible and prevent further damage.”
Copper theft has been on the rise in several parts of Thailand due to the high scrap value of the metal, which can fetch thousands of baht per kilogramme on the black market.
Police are now reviewing CCTV footage from nearby areas and coordinating with local scrap dealers in hopes of tracking down the culprits and preventing future incidents, reported The Pattaya News.
Meanwhile, repairs to restore lighting along the affected stretch are underway, but officials warn that full restoration could take several days.
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