Mumbai: A sharp rise in organized copper cable thefts across Mumbai and its suburbs has exposed serious vulnerabilities in the city’s aging underground utility infrastructure. Criminal gangs are systematically targeting installations belonging to Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB), causing widespread service disruptions and financial losses running into crores of rupees.
In one of the most shocking incidents, thieves in Mulund cut through a live high-voltage power line to steal a 900-kg, 11KV Ring Main Unit (RMU), underscoring the audacity and technical sophistication of these gangs.
The brazen theft occurred on December 19, 2025, at Nahur-Airoli Road in Mulund East. Three alleged scrap dealers Yusuf Akram Khan, 25, Ibrahim Akram Khan, 23, and Shahdab Altaf Khan, 22, had allegedly arrived at a warehouse to take possession of materials purchased through auction. Instead, they allegedly used a gas cutter to sever a live 11KV RMU and lifted the 900-kg equipment with a crane into a truck.
The theft triggered sudden voltage fluctuations, alerting MSEB officials, who rushed to the site and detained one suspect. Navghar police cracked the case within five hours, arresting all three accused. Based on a complaint filed by Assistant Engineer Prasad Sanjay Mestri of MSEB, police registered a case and seized the stolen RMU valued at Rs5.61 lakh along with a transport truck worth Rs8 lakh used in the crime.
Fresh Theft in Bhandup
In another incident on February 20, 2026, unidentified individuals stole a 25-foot-long copper cable from the MSEB office premises on LBS Road in Bhandup. Following a complaint by Additional Executive Engineer Swapnil Dinkar Kakad, 32, the Bhandup police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation.
Police investigations reveal that at least 15–20 organized gangs are operating across Mumbai. Equipped with heavy machinery and reflective safety gear, they dig up roads at night and extract thousands of meters of underground cables. The affected areas include Malad, Goregaon, Andheri, Jogeshwari, Sion, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Mulund, and Chembur. In many cases, criminals pose as MTNL or government telecom unit staff and carry forged documents to avoid suspicion.
Copper, often described in the scrap market as “underground gold,” fetches between Rs800 and Rs900 per kilogram. Thieves typically burn or strip insulation from cables to extract copper before selling it through illegal scrap channels. Authorities say a black-market chain involving scrap dealers and unauthorized buyers enables the stolen material to be quickly disposed of.
Major MTNL Cable Theft Cases
In September 2025, Amboli police arrested eight persons for attempting to steal 1,110 meters of copper cables worth Rs58 lakh belonging to Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited in Jogeshwari. The accused had brought a truck loaded with cables allegedly stolen from other locations, including areas near Farooq High School for Girls and Farooq College on SV Road.
Earlier, in March 2025, a complaint by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi regarding her non-functional landline led MTNL to uncover cable theft at eight locations in Goregaon. A total of 2,736 meters of copper cables worth Rs12 lakh had been stolen. On August 15, 2025, Goregaon police registered a case after MTNL reported the theft of 360 meters of underground copper cable worth Rs21.60 lakh near Patkar College.
In Sion, police have arrested 15 persons after local residents alerted them to suspicious road digging near Road No. 29 close to Dalda Company. The accused were found wearing reflective safety jackets and carrying documents claiming they were MTNL contractors.
Mumbai police have arrested five individuals in December 2025 after spotting around 25 men near a tempo on Charkop Road. Inside the vehicle, officers recovered 80–90 pieces of 10-foot-long MTNL cables and three heavy-duty cutters.
In Ghatkopar, approximately 1,100 meters of underground copper cable worth Rs10 lakh was stolen between Tilak Road and MG Road on April 22, 2025, disrupting telephone and internet services for numerous residents. Pantnagar police later arrested two accused in connection with the case.
Metro Depot Targeted
A separate gang allegedly stole copper wires, pipes, and coils worth Rs47.63 lakh installed by a private contractor for air-conditioning and wiring at the Mandale Metro Depot. The thefts reportedly occurred multiple times between December 2024 and May 2025, with a case finally registered in September 2025.
Attempt Foiled in BKC
The Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) police have registered a case against three individuals after two of them were caught red-handed attempting to steal underground cables near an MTNL signal in the BKC area on October 11, 2025.
Aging Infrastructure, Easy Targets
Much of Mumbai’s underground copper infrastructure was laid in the 1970s and 1980s. With the rise of mobile telephony, large sections of these networks have become obsolete and poorly monitored, creating opportunities for theft.
Officials admit that inadequate CCTV coverage, limited patrolling, and delayed complaint mechanisms make prevention difficult. In several locations, old copper cables lie unused for years, particularly in poorly supervised areas.
Authorities are now under pressure to dismantle the black-market supply chain and strengthen surveillance to prevent further thefts that not only cause massive financial losses but also disrupt essential electricity, telephone, and internet services across the city.
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