Here's what's on my "I Don't Get It" list about stories like this

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Gaybutton
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Here's what's on my "I Don't Get It" list about stories like this

Post by Gaybutton »

First, the story:
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Uncle, nephew busted for cutting fiber-optic wires on Pattaya highway

By Pattaya Mail

December 8, 2022

An uncle and nephew team were arrested for allegedly cutting down internet wires for scrap, causing about 3 million baht in damage.

Nikom Nonkaew, 40, and Chaimongkol Aranthong, 30, were captured late Dec. 4 on Highway 7 by Huay Yai and Highway police. They were caught with 3 million baht in fiber-optic cable.

Police first discovered two days earlier that thieves were cutting lines down on the motorway. A check of CCTVs in the area captured the pair driving a motorbike with wire-cutter and cables. The two stashed the cable in the brush until they could come back and collect it.

Police waited where the cables were hidden and caught the pair when they returned.

Police said the pair confessed and said they used the money for drugs and shopping.

Story and photo: https://www.pattayamail.com/news/uncle- ... way-418571
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Now, the part on my "I Don't Get It" list:

Who bought the cables?

How many millions of times have we seen stories about thieves stealing everything from copper wire to manhole covers to sell. What I never see is anything about who they sell it to. Why doesn't anything ever seem to happen (at least nothing in the publicity that I ever see) to the people who buy obviously stolen property?

I'm sorry, but nobody is going to be able to convince me that a buyer would reasonably assume that somehow two schmucks like this got their hands on thousands of baht worth of fiber-optic cable, acquired it legitimately, and it was theirs to sell - all perfectly legal.

Any idiot would have had to at least suspect that this was stolen property, but the buyers never seem to report their suspicions to the police, never have the stolen property seized and confiscated, and never find themselves in any legal trouble whatsoever.

Next obvious question: WHY?
Jun

Re: Here's what's on my "I Don't Get It" list about stories like this

Post by Jun »

Surely the fibre optic cables should not contain copper and therefore not be worth much?

One proven policy is to make it illegal for scrap metal dealers to accept material unless there is proof that it was acquired legally.
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Re: Here's what's on my "I Don't Get It" list about stories like this

Post by Gaybutton »

Jun wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2022 7:02 pm Surely the fibre optic cables should not contain copper and therefore not be worth much?
The article says "They were caught with 3 million baht in fiber-optic cable." 3 million baht. That makes it worth something to somebody. I wonder how much these two would have gotten if they had succeeded in selling it. Somehow I don't picture them walking away with 3 million baht in their pockets.

You mentioned "make it illegal for scrap metal dealers to accept material unless there is proof that it was acquired legally." It goes far, very far, beyond me why apparently there is no such requirement under the law or, if such a requirement exists, why it isn't enforced.

I don't want to lose my internet because some thieves cut the cable and I don't want to drive into a potentially severe accident because some thieves stole manhole covers.

As I said, it's all on my "I Don't Get It" list . . .
Jun

Re: Here's what's on my "I Don't Get It" list about stories like this

Post by Jun »

Three million baht in fibre optic cable at cost.

Then, what's the scrap value ? Near zero with no copper? Or is he stealing off (for example)TrueMove to sell to another broadband company?

Just jail him for 20 years and be done with it.
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Re: Here's what's on my "I Don't Get It" list about stories like this

Post by christianpfc »

I think the stolen cables are useless/worthless, and three million baht is the cost of the damage.

But nobody got hurt! Years ago, there was an article (don't remember where exactly) about thieves stealing parts of the rail (not the rail itself, just the screws that hold it to the sleepers), causing derailment of a passenger train. Later caught via the scrap metal dealer they sold it to.
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