Demerara River Bridge copper cable theft leads to jail sentence

A 39-year-old man, Roy Morgan, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing approximately 90 feet of heavy-duty copper cable from the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge. The stolen material, valued at roughly GY$1.62 million, was taken between August 23 and September 1, 2026.

The theft was discovered by an electrical maintenance engineer who noticed that the LED lights on the southern side of the bridge failed to illuminate during an attempt to display the colors of the Trinidad and Tobago flag for its independence anniversary. Upon inspection, the team found the copper cables had been cut and removed from their metal trunking box.

Morgan reportedly told investigators he sold the cable to a scrap metal dealer in Albouystown to fund food and narcotics. The dealer, 51-year-old Mustafid Pashaw, has been charged with receiving stolen articles and was granted bail in the sum of G$300,000. Investigations involving CCTV footage are ongoing.