NST Leader: Cable thefts pose a grave national threat

Cable thefts have become a severe national concern, targeting public spaces and homes for their valuable assets. Thieves now focus on stealing copper and metal cables due to rising metal prices, with high-profile targets being telecom and rail infrastructure. These brazen acts involve infiltrating substations and restricted areas to steal copper busbars and drain transformer oil, which is then processed and sold as industrial lubricant.

The thefts have evolved into organized syndicates, exploiting the unregulated black market to sell stolen items by the kilo. Authorities must break the thieves' supply chain and dismantle their network of buyers, who include scrap yard operators, pawnshops, and online buyers. Higher penalties, including imprisonment and heavy fines, are necessary once suspects are caught.

In the long term, preventing the market for stolen cables is key, which involves inspecting and revoking licenses for unscrupulous scrap disposal factories and illegal scrap metal dealers. They must also digitally log all copper sales for cross-referencing with public utility records. Intelligent CCTV systems using artificial intelligence, cable tracing liquids, and micro-trackers are being implemented to deter cable thefts, with the ultimate goal of defining cable thefts as a national security threat and defining appropriate measures for implementation.