Authorities Arrest 5 Men for for Stealing Telco Copper Wires
Five men were arrested in Quezon City after they were caught in the act of stealing copper cable wires belonging to a telecommunications company.
The theft incident happened along Quezon Avenue in Barangay Doña Josefa early Sunday morning (September 14, 2025), around 4 a.m.
According to authorities from the Galas Police Station, officers were on routine patrol when they noticed several men loading items into a closed van in a suspicious manner. When approached, the group failed to present identification or proof that they were connected to the telco company, leading to their arrest.
Those taken into custody included two 18-year-olds and a 20-year-old from Sta. Cruz, Manila, a 43-year-old from Tondo, and a 35-year-old from Rizal. Police recovered around 17.6 meters of copper internet cables worth an estimated P256,533, along with the van used in the operation.
Investigators are now looking into whether the suspects are part of a larger group involved in similar thefts. Further checks also revealed that one of the arrested men, the 35-year-old from Rizal, has an outstanding warrant of arrest for a child abuse case issued in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu back in August 2022.
However, the suspects claimed that they were unaware of the illegal activity. They insisted that they were simply inside the truck and had no idea what was happening outside. Despite their defense, they are now detained at the custodial facility of the Galas Police Station.
“Sa totoo lang wala naman po kami talagang alam diyan. Nasa loob ng truck lang po kami. Kumbaga hindi po namin alam ano ginagawa nila sa labas,” the 18-year-old suspect said.
The group faces charges of theft and violation of the Anti-Cable Television and Cable Internet Tapping Act of 2013. Authorities stressed that such crimes disrupt essential communication services and warned the public that those involved will be held accountable.
In a similar incident, 6 men caught stealing P198,000 worth of cables in Caloocan
