20 Kilometres Of Skytrain Track Wire 'Stolen'

BANGKOK: -- Police have arrested a group of suspects accused of stealing more than 20 kilometres of copper electric wire under Skytrain tracks in Bangkok.

In a press conference at the Metropolitan Police headquarters, Pol.Col. Chayanon Meesati said the first of the suspects was apprehended on 29 July and confessed he collaborated with 2 other individuals in the crime. The police then sought arrest warrants from the court and arrested the 2 other suspects.

However, Pol.Col. Chayanon said 3 more suspects in the case are still on the run.

According to Pol.Col. Chayanon, the group climbed ladders to reach the BTS tracks via a gap between the pillars, and the pillars helped shielded the suspects from the public eye as they worked, cutting lengths of copper wire under the tracks.

The wire was hidden in sacks, according the police, the group later sold the copper wire to metal shops, and used the money to buy illegal drugs for their consumption.

The suspects reportedly told the police they had worked as construction workers for the BTS project, which granted them extensive knowledge of the tracks′ structure. They also wore orange jackets worn by BTS construct workers when they performed the operation, police said.

Mr. Pakdee Jirapapan, director the maintenance department of Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), estimated that the suspects had hauled away 20 kilometres of copper wire in total, costing the authority around 10 million baht.

Mr. Pakdee said the theft did not immediately affect the services, but admitted that the BTS functions could be severely disrupted in the long term. He told the reporters the BMTA would install metal grates on vulnerable locations along the tracks to avoid further theft.

One of the suspects confessed to the police that he and his cohorts had been operating for a year, reaping 10 sacks of copper wire in their biggest attempt. The group then separated the money, each person receiving 20,000 baht per haul, according to the suspect.

The stations targeted by the suspects are identified as Chong Nonsri, Arie, Saphan Kwai, Ekkamai, Pra Khanong, and On Nut.

Source: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNM09UUXlNVGsyTWc9PQ==&sectionid=TURVd01BPT0=

--KHAOSOD English 2013-09-17

Crike, I was expecting to read Skytrain Derailed!

Crike, I was expecting to read Skytrain Derailed!

THAT'S NEXT!

Crike, I was expecting to read Skytrain Derailed!

Where are you from?

it usually goes missing before its installed

Off topic nonsense and trolling posts have been removed.

i know copper has value, maybe i'm lucky but bangkok is the first place that i've had someone steal the copper pipe around the water meter in front of the house... to which i was told 'you should have left the light on out front' apparently the whole soi got hit whose lights were off

I will give the guys 10 out of 10 for creativity!

The skytrain is the limit!

What was the copper wire there for in the first place? Ligtening protection?

How can you haul 20km of wire away and no one notices?

How can you haul 20km of wire away and no one notices?

carry a clip board and supervise the guys that are doing it for you.

It takes kickin copper for a copper to come out and knick someone

At least the coper was there to be stolen.

Makes a change from all the correct paperwork, receipts, delivery notes and invoices for goods never actually delivered.

Heck, I would like to see a pic of the 10 million baht stash of illicit drugs the 3 of them bought for their consumption. Must have been the Thai versions of John Belushi!

3 held for stealing BTS wires
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Three men have been arrested for stealing copper worth more than Bt10 million from the Skytrain system's ground lines.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lt-General Camronwit Toopgrajank announced the arrests yesterday alongside executives of BTSC, which operates the Skytrain system. Suspect Pichit Kladngern said his gang had been stealing the copper for more than a year now.

BTSC officials said though the theft does not affect Skytrain services, but repairs were necessary to prevent any long-term damages. Ground lines consist of copper wires to prevent electric shocks.


-- The Nation 2013-09-18

This story is just as stupid as this guy I knew who sold my old rusty pickup bumper for 30 Baht. The nerve and desperation of some people, unbelievable.

If the amount of copper on the table is from one nights work.

20 kilometers of wire will take more than 2 years to steal

Maybe most was missing before these dudes got caught

So they were cutting the ground wires and taking them. Don't know how the system is wired but this could possibly lead to a real and present danger of electrocution in some areas of the system.

20,000 baht a haul each? These guys were making some pretty serious coin. 10,000,000 per year out of the BKK GDP now.

Edited September 18, 201312 yr by Phil Water

still wonder what kind of evidence that can of ice coffee is

i know copper has value, maybe i'm lucky but bangkok is the first place that i've had someone steal the copper pipe around the water meter in front of the house... to which i was told 'you should have left the light on out front' apparently the whole soi got hit whose lights were off

Where I am from they find a empty house bash in the walls and strip the elect wiring and copper water pipes.

And i guess we are supposed to believe the scrap yard involved didn't think it was a just a bit suspicious that these blokes were bringing in so much copper wire ? Guess who's made the most money out of this little caper ?

Have they painted over the BTS logo yet?

There will be a lot of copy cat follow ups of this crime.

4 junkies with a few thousand baht worth of hand tools netted 10 million in a year.

That is 2.5 million per bloke. More than most working class Thais will see in their entire life.

I just don't understand why they had to blow their fortune on drugs.

An off topic trolling post has been removed !

I don't believe they have caught the right people.

Nobody is pointing to them in the photo.

How can you haul 20km of wire away and no one notices?

I was going to ask a similar question - is this some kind of world record for the longest thing ever knocked off ? If so congrats to the bumbling burglars.

But as Thormaturge said, I will not believe they are the culprits unless someone, anyone, points at them.

How can you haul 20km of wire away and no one notices?

I was going to ask a similar question - is this some kind of world record for the longest thing ever knocked off ? If so congrats to the bumbling burglars.

But as Thormaturge said, I will not believe they are the culprits unless someone, anyone, points at them.

easily they only took the ground-wires so if nothing short out than no-one knows

they should also visit the place where they sold it cannot tell me that that guy thought i was normal to have large quantities of perfectly good copper wire for sale

Edited September 18, 201312 yr by retell

Time for continuity checks and grounding checks of the BTS methinks. reminds me of a guy that got "caught" stealing copper wire while walking up the hill at the Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, CT herein the USA. The guy wrapped the wire around his body under his coat. Not a bad idea, but copper does have some weight to it. And if any of you are familiar with the shipyard in Groton, there is a very steep hill leading from the water up to where you park your car. The guy keeled over and died.