Bangkok: Nakhon Pathom Highway police arrested a 22-year-old man for illegally cutting power cables on the M81 motorway. He was caught by a surveillance camera system, and after police raided the location, he fled into the nearby forest but was apprehended. He confessed to committing the crime for the third time.
According to Thai News Agency, highway police officers from Highway Police Division 4, Sub-division 8, received a report from the Traffic Operation Center (TOC) of Highway 81 that a man was seen climbing over a barrier onto Highway 81 (Bang Yai - Kanchanaburi) at kilometer 2+950, Moo 1, Soi Liap Khlong Chon Prathan, Tambon Si Sa Thong, Amphoe Nakhon Chai Si, Nakhon Pathom Province. His behavior was suspicious, suggesting he may be illegally cutting electrical wires. The arresting highway police officers proceeded to the location to investigate.
Upon arrival, officers found the man, later identified as Mr. Theetat, 22, illegally cutting power cables. Seeing the police, he fled into the nearby forest. Police pursued him closely and, at approximately 6:40 PM, apprehended him while he was hiding in a thicket of incense trees along the roadside. Mr. Theetat confessed to walking alone from his home in Moo 4, Tambon Si Sa Thong, Nakhon Chai Si District, and climbing over a fence to steal the cables. He admitted to having committed similar thefts of power cables along Highway 81 twice before. He sold the stolen cables to a scrap metal dealer in Tambon Wat Lamud, Nakhon Chai Si District, receiving 430 baht per kilogram for copper and 80 baht per kilogram for aluminum. He successfully evaded police arrest on both occasions.