Detainee admits to stealing copper cable from Demerara River bridge

Last Updated on Thursday, 3 September 2026, 5:50 by Denis Chabrol

The man, who was arrested on the Demerara River bridge early Wednesday night, has since confessed to stealing heavy duty copper cable from that east-west thoroughfare, Deputy Police Commissioner Wendell Blanhum said.

“One person is in police custody and he has since admitted to stealing and selling the copper cable to purchase food to eat and buy drugs to smoke,” he told Demerara Waves Online News.

Mr Blanhum said the 39-year old man, who is a labourer and does not have a fixed residence, has since led police to a scrap metal buyer.

The man was arrested Wednesday night hours after the Guyana Police Force 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 midnight August 23, 2026, and 9 AM on September 1, 2026.

The bridge is equipped with LED lights attached to steel poles along its high span. The lights, which are powered by a generator beneath the bridge, are used to display various colours and were last operated on August 23, 2026, police said.

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.

The labourer 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.