Man broke into SP Powergrid stations to steal copper worth $100k

BETWEEN 2003 and June this year, a driver-cum-general worker had another “job” that nobody hired him to do – that of breaking into SP PowerGrid substations to steal copper earth bars.

Tan Hong Thow, 52, made off with an estimated $80,500 to $100,000 worth of copper earth bars from more than 200 substations across the island, and sold them to second-hand scrap dealers.

He carried out his break-ins and theft by night.

At each substation he targeted, he hung a large canvas sheet from the first-floor staircase railing to the basement door. Behind the privacy of this screen, he broke the latch to the door leading to the basement.

Once inside, he used a spanner to free the bolts from the nuts securing the copper earth bars on the walls. He then wrapped his loot with the canvas.

The money he got from selling the bars went into feeding his gambling habit, repaying debts and providing for his family.

Yesterday, he was jailed 7 and a half years for the 12 charges of housebreaking and theft of $11,550 in copper earth bars which the prosecution proceeded on.

Another 211 charges were considered during his sentencing.

District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim, noting the sheer number of charges and the long span during which the offences were committed, said Tan would have carried on stealing had he not been arrested on June 29.

The maximum penalty for housebreaking and theft by night is 14 years in prison.

ORIGINAL SOURCE

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