Old Harbour police uncover a tonne of stolen copper cables

According to DSP Mark Harris, about 1:00 pm today officers on duty discovered several rolls of wire during a search of a premises in the Terminal area of Old Harbour Bay.

Further investigation after the find led detectives to believe that the wires were stolen from the Jamaica Public Service Power Plant based in the community, as well as from telecommunications company FLOW.

The discovery is arguably the largest ever in the Old Harbour area and is estimated in value to be over $31 million.  No-one was arrested as the cables were found at an abandoned location.

Speaking to Old Harbour News this afternoon, DSP Harris, who is the commander in charge of the police sub-division of Old Harbour, said they believe a major dent has been made in the illicit trade.

“We are very serious about this and would like to tell the players in this illegal business that we will spare no efforts in coming after you. We have intensified our operations of late as the stealing of these cables directly impacts how we function as law-abiding citizens,” he said.

One man from an Old Harbour address is currently before the court on charges of theft and vandalism related to stolen copper wires, added DSP Harris.  Investigators, he noted, strongly believe that the accused man is part of a wider syndicate of hoodlums running an organized criminal enterprise.

The stealing of copper wires has been a long, painstaking issue for police in general and more specifically the telecoms sector, with the latter calling for amendments to the laws and stiffer penalties.

In a 2020 Old Harbour News article, manager at FLOW Sophia Morgan, told a community forum in Spring Village that the parish of St Catherine accounts for 60% of all copper wires reported stolen of vandalized. At the time, she said FLOW has been lobbying the government to place stealing of copper cables under the Terrorism Act because the current legislation doesn’t deter these crooks.

“What happens now is that when the culprits are caught all they are charged for is simple larceny,” Morgan said then.

It’s the second major below of this nature to the criminal underworld and in the same breath another feather in the cap of the St Catherine South Police Division which has jurisdiction for Old Harbour.

Two weeks ago a team of police officers managed to confiscate large rolls of copper wires stolen in Portmore which disrupted communications service to the FLOW network in Waterford, Gregory Park and other communities. No arrest was made.