{
  "id": 14311985,
  "title": "Cable thieves emerge from the shadows",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/cable-thieves-emerge-from-the-shadows",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-13T23:00:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/10/1554861/cable-thieves-emerge-shadows"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Cable thieves in Malaysia are increasingly brazen, targeting telecommunications networks, electricity installations, and other public utilities in broad daylight. This shift in tactics marks a significant escalation from their previous covert operations in secluded areas. The brazen nature of these thefts was evident last Friday when four masked men were captured on video pulling out underground cables in Kampung Melayu Panchor, Seremban, around noon. The incident led to the arrest of 14 people, including two women, and the seizure of five cars, cable-cutting equipment, and three sacks of burnt copper wires. Police believe these arrests solved several cable theft cases in Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Kedah, and Melaka. The financial incentive for these syndicates is substantial, with copper prices in Malaysia ranging from RM56 to RM60 per kilogramme. The growing demand for copper in expanding networks, renewable energy installations, data centres, and the electric vehicle industry has made these thefts a lucrative venture for the criminals.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}