A brazen theft of underground cabling was captured on video in the early hours of Thursday morning in Salvador, Brazil. The incident occurred on a stretch of Avenida Manoel Dias da Silva in the upscale Pituba neighborhood. A group of at least four individuals was filmed by local residents as they carried out the crime.
The footage shows the suspects methodically removing a protective cover from the underground network. One man then descended into the access point, pulled out a length of cable, and sawed through the wiring. His accomplices assisted by pulling the severed material to the surface. The entire operation lasted just over a minute.
Despite the audible shouts of 'pega ladrão' (catch the thief) from watching residents, the group continued their work undeterred. They also appeared completely unconcerned by the fact they were being actively filmed. After completing the theft, the man who entered the hole carefully replaced the protective cover before the group fled the scene.
Their escape was not entirely successful, however. According to the Polícia Civil, a 32-year-old man involved in the theft was apprehended by a military police officer shortly after the crime. The arrested suspect was taken to the Central de Flagrantes (Cenflag) in Salvador, where he remains in custody awaiting judicial proceedings.
The whereabouts of the other individuals involved in the theft are currently unknown. Authorities have stated that the case will be the subject of an ongoing investigation. The stolen cabling was part of a subterranean network, a type of infrastructure that has been repeatedly targeted in similar crimes across the city.
This incident highlights the persistent issue of cable theft in urban areas, which can disrupt services and cause significant damage. The brazenness of the suspects, operating openly despite public outcry and being recorded, underscores the audacity of such criminal activity. Based on reporting from g1.