Suspected Demerara River bridge cable thief caught

Last Updated on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, 22:10 by Denis Chabrol

A prime suspect in the theft of heavy duty copper cable  from the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge was caught Wednesday night on the east-west corridor apparently preparing to steal more cable, a well-placed source said.

The investigator said the Guyanese man was clad in a safety helmet and reflector vest, most likely to impersonate bridge maintenance personnel. He was also allegedly in possession of cutting tools, the source said.

The Guyana Police Force did not immediately respond to a request for information, but Demerara Waves Online News was informed that the man sought refuge in a maintenance area of the high span in a bid to flee law enforcement and bridge personnel.

The arrest came hours after police said that 90 feet of the four-conductor cable, which is rated at 350 thousand circular mils (kcmil) each, is valued at GY$1.620 million was stolen from the bridge sometime between 00:00 hrs on August 23, 2026, and 09:00 hrs on September 1, 2026.

Bridge personnel told police that they only realised that the copper cable was stolen after one side of the bridge failed to light up on August 31 in the colours of the Trinidad and Tobago flag to mark that sister CARICOM member nation’s independence anniversary.

Sources believe that more than one person was involved in the coordinated cutting and loading of the very heavy cable on a truck.