Tighter scrapyard checks needed to tackle cable theft, says Bukit Aman [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: Police will conduct licence or permit inspections at scrap metal yards to cut off the market for stolen copper and cripple cable theft syndicates operating across the country.

Federal police believe continuous checks at scrapyards are key to address the growing problem, particularly thefts involving telecommunications cables.

Bukit Aman Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department director Datuk Seri Noor Hisam Nordin said tackling cable theft required authorities to go beyond catching thieves in the act.

"We also need to disrupt the criminal supply chain that allows syndicates to profit from stolen infrastructure.

"Continuous operations and inspections must be carried out by the authorities, particularly police, at all scrap metal yards," he told the New Straits Times.

His proposal comes as experts warn that cable theft will remain lucrative as long as criminals have access to buyers willing to purchase stolen copper.

Noor Hisam's recommendation reinforces concerns raised by legal and criminology experts yesterday that enforcement must target not only the thieves, but also the buyers and middlemen sustaining the illegal trade.

The renewed focus on scrapyards follows a series of increasingly brazen cable thefts, including one in Kampung Melayu Panchor, Seremban, recently.

Four masked men were spotted using vehicles to pull telecommunication cables from underground manholes near a primary school in broad daylight.

Footage of the incident went viral, leading to the arrests of 14 people, including two women, in Labu, Nilai and Dengkil.

Police seized five cars, cable-cutting equipment and three sacks of burnt copper wires.

The discovery of burnt copper highlighted how stolen cables were processed.

Noor Hisam also proposed a comprehensive security framework to prevent thefts at telecommunication installations and underground utility networks.

He said the issue should be addressed through an integrated infrastructure security and crime prevention framework, which combines surveillance technology, physical access controls, threat detection, intelligence-sharing and enforcement.

"The proposed framework could be divided into two categories, reflecting differences in the locations targeted, the syndicates' modus operandi and the level of security risk.

"The first category would cover thefts at telecommunications substations, towers and other facilities, particularly those in remote, hilly or sparsely populated areas," he said.

He said telecommunications operators must install artificial intelligence-enabled closed-circuit television systems at high-risk facilities. However, he said not all telecommunications facilities faced the same level of risk.

"Operators should therefore conduct security risk assessments based on location, previous theft incidents, asset values, access routes and the importance of the services provided," he said, suggesting an integrated alarm response protocol involving telecommunications companies, private security firms and police.

He said under the proposed arrangement, information on suspected intrusions or security breaches would be channelled immediately to police district control centres to enable a coordinated response.

Noor Hisam also stressed the need for tighter controls over contractors and maintenance activities.

"The second category would focus on underground cable thefts involving manholes, particularly along roads, in urban areas, industrial zones and utility corridors.

"For these locations installing high-security manhole covers could make unauthorised access more difficult."

He also recommended introducing a digital utility work verification system that would allow enforcement personnel to establish whether individuals claiming to be telecommunications workers were authorised to carry out work.

Noor Hisam also proposed network monitoring and cable interference detection systems to enable telecommunications operators to quickly identify suspicious activity.

He said police should adopt intelligence-led hotspot policing, with surveillance and patrols concentrated in areas identified through crime analysis.