A 39-year-old man is in police custody after allegedly stealing approximately $1.6 million worth of copper cable from the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge and selling it for just $15,000 to buy food and drugs. Police said the suspect, Roy Morgan, was arrested on Wednesday evening at the bridge with cutting equipment. He was reportedly wearing a safety helmet and reflective vest, giving the appearance of a bridge worker.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said Morgan subsequently confessed to stealing the cable and selling it for $15,000. According to Blanhum, Morgan said the money was used to purchase food and drugs.
The stolen material comprised approximately 90 feet of 4/350 KCMIL copper cable, valued at about $1.6 million. The theft occurred sometime between midnight on August 23 and 9 a.m. on September 1.
The missing cable was discovered after an electrical maintenance engineer attempted to illuminate the bridge in the colours of Trinidad and Tobago’s national flag on August 31 to mark that country’s Independence Anniversary. Only lights on the northern side of the bridge functioned. A subsequent inspection of the southern section found that the copper cables had been cut and removed from a metal trunking box.
The matter was reported to police, triggering an investigation that led to Morgan’s arrest. Detectives then traced the alleged stolen material to a 52-year-old scrap-metal dealer operating in Albouystown.
The businessman reportedly admitted purchasing approximately 30 pounds of copper from Morgan but claimed he could not recall its description and had not questioned where the material came from. Police searched his Albouystown premises but found nothing. A subsequent search at his home in Tuschen uncovered two pieces of copper wire similar to the material missing from the bridge. He was subsequently arrested.
Both men remain in custody as investigations continue. The case has exposed more than the vulnerability of critical infrastructure. The alleged decision to exchange material valued at $1.6 million for only $15,000—and the suspect’s reported explanation that the money was needed for food and drugs—also highlights the social circumstances that can underpin crimes involving scrap metal.
The Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge is a major piece of national infrastructure connecting communities on the eastern and western banks of the Demerara River. The stolen cable was associated with the bridge’s lighting system, which uses LED lights attached to steel poles along the high span.
The investigation will now have to determine the full extent of the theft, whether other persons were involved and whether the scrap-metal dealer knowingly purchased stolen property. It also raises questions about security measures around critical infrastructure and the controls governing the scrap-metal trade. Police have not indicated whether additional arrests are expected.
