The Ghana Police Service has arrested eight Chinese nationals holding managerial roles at Sentuo Steel Limited and two Ghanaians over their alleged involvement in a cable theft and metal export syndicate involving cables belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The suspects are Yuxiaoting, He Jing, Xu Changjiu, Li Lei, Chen Jin, Zheng Ma, Wang Jian, and Bin Bin — all Chinese nationals — while the Ghanaian nationals are Samuel Ekpe and Priscilla Padu.
The arrests followed a police intelligence operation at the Kpone Industrial Area near Tema on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at about 3:30 p.m. The operation was carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in collaboration with officials from the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition.
Addressing a section of journalists in Accra on Monday, March 9, 2026, the Director-General of the CID, Lydia Yaako Donkor, said that upon arrival at Sentuo, the team found about 70 employees allegedly cutting ECG service cables into pieces and stripping metal components from the insulation.
She said the extracted bare wires were being compressed into metal blocks believed to be intended for export.
“The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters Operations Unit, in collaboration with officials of the Ministry of Energy, has uncovered a large cache of stolen Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) service cables and arrested 10 suspects in connection with an organised cable theft and metal export syndicate,” she said.
“During the operation, more than 100 drums of service cables suspected to belong to the Electricity Company of Ghana were discovered on the premises,” she added.
According to her, the quantity and condition of the cables suggest a sustained and organised operation targeting ECG infrastructure.
Police said a 24-hour guard has been placed at the premises to prevent the removal of any materials while investigations continue.
The Ghana Police Service described the operation as a major step in the fight against the theft of critical national infrastructure.
According to the Service, the stealing and illegal export of ECG cables has had a severe impact on electricity supply to communities, businesses, and public institutions across the country.
Police reaffirmed their commitment to working with other state agencies to protect national assets and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
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