NAKHON SAWAN - Eighteen people were arrested on Thursday while attempting to steal underground copper cables belonging to National Telecom in Muang district, posing as telecommunications employees wearing custom-made uniforms.
The arrests took place at around 1am on Sawanvitee Road in front of the Fairyland department store in tambon Pak Nampho, after police were alerted to suspicious activity, said Pol Col Phumrapee Phalaphum, superintendent of the Muang Nakhon Sawan station.
Authorities also seized five vehicles used in the operation and a large quantity of cable-cutting equipment from the suspects, both men and women.
The seized vehicles included pickup trucks, sedans and a truck for transporting the stolen cables. One had been fitted with a rescue foundation logo sticker to appear legitimate and avoid scrutiny from both the public and authorities.
Investigators found that the group was a large, professional gang from eastern Thailand and had been operating across several provinces in the central region, Pol Col Phumraphee said.
Some of the cable-cutting equipment police seized from the suspects. (Photo: Chalit Phoomrueng)
Police said the culprits had even invested in custom-made uniforms bearing the name of a private telecom company, allowing them to open manholes and cut copper cables without attracting suspicion.
Further investigation revealed that the company did not actually exist.
An investigative source said the suspects had rented rooms at a resort in the district since June 15 and began stealing telephone cables to extract and sell the copper, which has high market value.
The gang had reportedly completed one successful theft previously, earning more than 300,000 baht, before returning to commit a second.
When police surrounded the area, some of the cables had already been cut, but had not yet been pulled from the conduit. The operation prevented damage estimated at more than 10 million baht, Pol Col Phumrephee said.
An employee of National Telecom said that all of the telephone cables inside the underground conduits had already been decommissioned and were in the process of being gradually removed and returned to the state enterprise.
NT later discovered irregularities when sections of underground cable were found missing from several locations. They alerted police and closely monitored the situation.
Police believed the 18 suspects were part of a larger cable-theft network, which may operate in separate teams across different provinces. Investigators suspect there are higher-level organisers who direct the operation.
The investigation is expanding to link the case to similar incidents in other locations, police said.
