Copper Busbar Theft Halts 100-Million-Baht Power Infrastructure Project

PATHUM THANI — On February 15, 2026, Khlong Luang Police arrested a suspect for stealing copper busbars from an underground power cable project in Khlong Sam, causing significant damage and disrupting a major infrastructure development. The 25-30-year-old suspect was caught near a bridge with 12 copper busbars, tools including wire cutters and a metal saw, and a motorcycle. Police received a tip-off about a suspicious individual at around 03:00 and discovered the stolen equipment during a search. The suspect allegedly confessed to stealing the copper busbars from a roadside electrical control cabinet, claiming this was his first offense. Provincial Electricity Authority officials explained that the stolen busbars are critical conductors valued at over 360,000 baht, and the theft has caused 4-5 million baht in damages to the 100-million-baht project. Local authorities warned that scrap shops purchasing stolen state property would face closure and license revocation, and urged residents to report suspicious nighttime cable removal activities.