Bell sues alleged copper thief, asks governments to assist with network protection

Telecom giant Bell says it’s suing an alleged copper thief.

Bell reports more than 170 incidents of copper theft over the past 15 months. The incidents see thieves cut down pole cables, causing $3 million in damages and hours of service interruptions. A majority of the cases have taken place in New Brunswick, Ontario and northern Québec, the company says.

The company has filed a lawsuit against Sylvain Fleury, who was arrested for stealing copper wire.

“The lawsuit is another step we are taking to protect our critical infrastructure against recurring theft and vandalism,” Nick Payant, vice president of operations services and core network at Bell, said.

The company also wants provincial and federal governments to assist in the matter by increasing fines and making changes to the criminal code.

“We need the government’s help in prioritizing increased fines and amendments to the criminal code to protect our critical infrastructure,” Payant said. 

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Source: Bell