Man Arrested for Stealing Highway Sign Wiring
A 43-year-old man was arrested in Saraburi province for stealing electrical wiring from highway directional signs, with surveillance footage catching him stripping cables worth thousands of baht that he sold for just 146 baht to a scrap dea
On July 23, 2025, highway police led by Deputy Phot Thatchasuwan, commander of Highway Police Division 1, and Deputy Sarnsak Saeang, commander of Highway Police Region 2 Division 1, arrested Saksit (surname withheld), 43, on charges of stealing property intended for public use. Officers seized 16 tools including various wrenches, files, screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, rubber gloves, and rubber boots from the suspect's possession.
The arrest occurred beneath an overpass on the bypass road around Saraburi Highway 362 at kilometer 0 in Pak Phraeo subdistrict, Muang district, Saraburi province. The case began when the Highway Traffic Management System (LMS) control center detected surveillance footage showing the suspect climbing onto smart directional signs along Mittraphap Road (Highway 2) at kilometer 25 toward Bangkok in Thabkwang subdistrict, Kaeng Khoi district, Saraburi. Officers discovered that 27 meters of THW IEC 01 electrical cable (1×16 square millimeters) had been stolen, along with damaged pipes and fittings totaling approximately 7,366 baht in loss. However, the suspect had fled before being apprehended.
Authorities tracked the suspect and found him walking in Sabon village, Moo 5, Thabkwang subdistrict. His appearance matched surveillance footage, leading to his arrest. During questioning, the suspect confessed to climbing the smart sign, pulling the cable pipe at the joint, cutting the wires inside, descending and extracting the cables from below, then running across the road to escape. He sold the stolen wire to a scrap metal buyer passing on Mittraphap Road for only 146 baht.
Background checks revealed the suspect had committed an identical theft on April 19, 2024, and had only recently completed his sentence before reoffending. He was detained along with the seized items and referred to Kaeng Khoi police station for further legal proceedings.
