Muscat: Cases of electrocution involving the theft of power cables have so far claimed three lives this year, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said on Friday.
The deaths pay testimony to a criminal phenomenon that reached epidemic proportions in the Sultanate last year, but is currently on the decline thanks to tough new laws, increased surveillance of power lines, and better regulation of the scrap market where much of the stolen copper merchandise is disposed of.
Rampant vandalism of electrical distribution networks and cables contributed to outages in some remote neighbourhoods and impeded efforts by the government to roll out electrification projects in outlying villages and settlements. A total of 428 cases of theft involving copper cables were registered by the police last year.
The rash of cases prompted all five national power transmission and distribution companies to join forces to fight the menace. Together with the government and enforcement agencies, they launched several awareness drives warning not only of the perils of theft of live electrical gear, but also the criminal penalties in store for those charged with vandalism. Some power distribution firms installed surveillance cameras and improved security at key points along their networks.
At the same time, the thriving scrap yards of Wadi Kabir and Ghala in the capital area were placed under tighter supervision, with all transactions involving copper cables scrutinised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the police.
Cases of copper cable theft have since declined to 191 so far this year, the police added.
