Security sources reported that an engineer from the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy along with a representative from the Security and Safety Department notified officers at Khaitan police station of the break-in at the F electrical substation in Block 7. Unknown individuals had forced entry into the facility’s basement and removed the 12 cables before fleeing the scene. The ministry team made the discovery while investigating a reported power disruption at the site opposite a local bank.
The Khaitan police immediately informed the duty prosecutor who ordered the case registered as a felony and directed the Criminal Investigation Department to take over the inquiry. Forensic specialists visited the substation to collect evidence and perform a technical examination of the break-in point. Detectives have begun analyzing surveillance video from cameras in the vicinity to identify how the theft occurred and to trace possible suspects.
Sources at the Ministry of Electricity told Al-Jarida newspaper last year that thefts of electrical cables produce losses several times greater than the value of the materials themselves through service outages that require new tenders and repairs to restore electricity and water supplies. The ministry has repeatedly called for stronger coordination with the Ministry of Interior to disrupt black market networks that melt down and resell stolen copper. Such incidents have recurred across multiple governorates prompting heightened patrols around critical infrastructure.
The Ministry of Interior has carried out successive operations against cable theft rings resulting in numerous arrests of expatriates found with cutting tools and stolen conductors from transformer sites. In several documented cases security patrols intercepted suspects near substations and recovered materials before they could be transported. These efforts form part of a broader campaign to safeguard public utilities from organized theft that threatens service reliability.
Investigators are working to determine whether the Khaitan incident connects to similar thefts reported in recent months in other areas where cables have been cut from live or stored equipment. The stolen items belong to the state electricity network and are frequently converted into copper ingots for illicit sale. Police have asked residents to report any suspicious behavior around electrical facilities directly to the operations room.
A representative of the ministry’s legal affairs accompanied the initial complaint filing to ensure proper documentation of the state property loss. The case remains active with the Public Prosecution overseeing the legal classification under provisions covering theft of government assets. Detectives continue to pursue leads on potential resale channels that may link the perpetrators to scrap yards or export operations.
