KATHMANDU, Aug 12: Police in Kavre have arrested 10 individuals involved in the theft and sale of electrical transformers across the district. According to the District Police Office, Kavre, the organized gang stole six transformers from various locations and sold the copper wire inside them.

The spike in transformer thefts prompted the deployment of a special police team, leading to the arrests. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rajkumar Shrestha, the spokesperson for Kavre, reported that seven suspects were initially detained by teams from the Bhakunde Besi Police Station and the Mangaltar Area Police Office.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Bishnu Bahadur Sarki, Pralhad Basnet, Sunil Basnet, Dikul Khatri, Prabin Basnet, Jagannath Basnet, Santosh BK, Rajesh BK, Kumar BK, and Prem Mijar.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the stolen copper wire was sold at various scrap shops in Bhaktapur. A joint team from Bhaktapur’s Jagati Police Circle arrested three additional gang members and seized items, including copper wire, during searches at several scrap shops.

DSP Shrestha noted that the gang planned their thefts carefully, targeting transformers during the night under the guise of collecting scrap. The stolen transformers were intended for use in settlements, drinking water projects, and irrigation systems.