A major breakthrough in the high-value copper cable theft case at Guyana’s Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge has seen the primary suspect arrested Wednesday night, with law enforcement intercepting him as he allegedly prepared to steal more cable infrastructure from the site, according to a senior authoritative source familiar with the investigation.
The arrested individual, a Guyanese national, was found disguised as an authorized bridge maintenance worker when he was detained, the source confirmed. He was wearing a standard industry safety helmet and high-visibility reflective vest to avoid drawing suspicion, and was also in possession of specialized cutting equipment intended to remove additional cable from the bridge structure.
Official confirmation from the Guyana Police Force was not immediately available when the media requested comment on the arrest. However, multiple informed sources told Demerara Waves Online News that after being spotted by bridge staff and responding officers, the suspect attempted to evade capture by hiding in a restricted maintenance zone located on the bridge’s high span.
Wednesday’s arrest unfolded roughly 10 days after police first publicly announced the theft, which took place between midnight on August 23, 2026, and 9 a.m. on September 1, 2026. The stolen infrastructure consists of 90 feet of four-conductor heavy-duty cable, with each conductor rated at 350 thousand circular mils (kcmil). Authorities have valued the stolen cable at a total of 1.62 million Guyanese dollars.
The theft itself was only discovered by bridge management and on-site staff by accident on August 31, when a planned lighting tribute to neighboring CARICOM nation Trinidad and Tobago failed to activate. Bridge crews had attempted to illuminate one side of the crossing in the colors of Trinidad and Tobago’s national flag to mark the country’s independence anniversary, but the outage caused by the stolen cable revealed the crime.
Investigative sources have noted that the operation to remove and transport the extremely heavy copper cable required coordinated logistics, suggesting that additional accomplices are still at large. The suspect is currently in custody as authorities continue their probe to identify and locate other individuals involved in the initial theft.