Thieves steal wires from power station, causing surge that damage appliances in 80 homes

Le Lai, 28, and Hoang Trung Thong, 41, were detained by police of Buon Ma Thuot Town in the Central Highlands province on Wednesday. They are under investigation for stealing.

In December last year, Lai and Thong came to Buon Ma Thuot and rented a motel room as a base for carrying out robberies. At night, they would use tools to steal wires and copper coils, which they sold as scrap.

On January 1, they cut a neutral wire at a power station in Tan Hoa Ward, causing a sudden surge in voltage. Electrical appliances owned by over 80 families in the area were damaged as a result, incurring a loss of around VND100 million ($4,264).

Police said Lai and Thong had stolen electric wires 65 times over the past month in Dak Lak and its neighbor Dak Nong. An investigation is ongoing.