Law
Electrician Arrested for Stealing Telecom Cables in Buriram
A 31-year-old electrician was arrested in Buriram for repeatedly cutting and stealing copper from telecommunication towers to fund drug use.
On August 25, 2026, police in Buriram province arrested a 31-year-old electrician, identified as Piyapong, for allegedly stealing copper cables from telecommunication towers. According to Khaosod Online, the suspect was apprehended at a tower site in the Huai Charakhe Mak sub-district of Prakhon Chai district. Authorities seized evidence including stolen cables, a motorcycle, and six methamphetamine pills.
During questioning, the suspect admitted to using his professional electrical skills to climb towers at night, cutting cables to extract copper for sale to scrap dealers. He claimed to have committed the act 14 times across six districts, stating that he consumed methamphetamine before climbing to overcome his fear of heights. Police estimate the total damage caused by these thefts to be approximately 1 million baht.
For residents and travelers, this incident highlights potential risks to local telecommunication infrastructure, which may lead to intermittent signal disruptions in affected areas. While the suspect is currently in custody, the full extent of the service outages caused by these 14 incidents remains to be confirmed by the relevant network providers. Authorities continue to investigate the scope of the damage and the impact on local connectivity.