IN the course of two days, five men were arrested and charged while they were in the process of stealing copper from the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC).

On Wednesday, the company's contract security officers called in the police after they saw four men taking a drum of cable into a truck at Tarodale Gardens, Tarouba. Officers attached to the St Madeleine Police Station responded almost immediately, the commission said in a media release yesterday. All four men were arrested and charged.

The commission said another man was arrested yesterday by T&TEC Estate Police officers Marcus Matthews and Christopher Gueverra, while they were on mobile patrol. He was attempting to steal copper at the commission's substation in Couva. The man, who had a bolt cutter in his possession, was arrested, charged and appeared before a magistrate yesterday.

The commission said the vigilance of its Estate Police Officers was worth commending, and thanked members of the Police Service for their assistance.

T&TEC said advised members of the public to desist from attempting to steal copper or entering any of its installations, adding there could be fatal consequences.

It also advised anyone observing persons interfering with any of T&TEC's installations to contact T&TEC or the nearest police station.