Enel Rio reports theft of 4 km of electrical cables

Enel Rio reported the theft of 4 kilometers of electrical cables across its concession area during the first half of 2026. This stolen amount is equivalent to the total length of the Copacabana beachfront. The thefts impacted approximately 300 customers across 66 cities, with high occurrence rates in locations such as Niterói, Petrópolis, and Campos dos Goytacazes.

To mitigate these losses, Enel Rio is replacing cables with materials of lower commercial value and collaborating with the Military Police of the State of Rio de Janeiro (SEPM) through its Intelligence Subsecretariat.

According to the Brazilian Association of Electric Energy Distributors (Abradee), cable theft is a growing trend in Brazil. Data indicates that occurrences tripled between 2024 and 2025, with stolen cable volume rising from 300 tons to 975 tons in that period. Last year, distributors faced losses totaling R$ 90 million due to these crimes.