Organized theft of high-tension towers causes power outage in Bekaa, Lebanon

A loss of around $1.5 million has been estimated due to the theft of five high-tension towers, each 57 meters long, in the barrens of Makneh, Bekaa. The towers collapsed due to three organized robberies on March 28, April 3, and April 10.

According to sources, the pattern of the theft did not change. A group of young men arrives in their SUVs at the exact remote location, which is about ten minutes away from residential areas.

Then, they break the base of the columns using hammers and steal the iron corners of the towers' mesh. With specialized tools, they remove the ground iron using saws due to the thickness of the cables, as the diameter is equal to 570 millimeters.

Once the thieves loosen the tower's ground, they leave only to return the next day to access the iron wires they could not steal because of the towers' height.

However, the theft of each tower amounts to around 30 tons of iron, totaling 150 tons stolen in Makneh.

As a result of these crimes, work on the 220-kilovolt power line that supplies Deir Nbouh in Baalbek has stopped. This line feeds the central Baalbek station and, consequently, Laboueh and Hermel.

Thus, Electricité du Liban (EDL) has diverted the power to line 66, which currently supplies all areas of Baalbek Hermel province.

The bigger problem is that line 66 has also been subject to theft and is currently working partially. If it goes out of service, all Baalbek Hermel towns will be deprived of electricity. What is peculiar about this story is that the thief is the victim himself.

In collaboration with the Information Branch, the Lebanese army raids arrested two people from the Al-Mokdad family, who are from Maqneh. Iron and cables stolen from the high-tension towers were found in their homes. Fifteen houses and five farms in the area were raided, leading to the pursuit of more than 15 suspects.