Moment ‘brazen thieves dressed as workers are spotted stealing underground cables’
The video captured the moment a gang of alleged thieves were seen stealing cables in an underground tunnel.
Armed police surrounded the manhole on Great Charles Queensway in Birmingham city centre, just meters from the police station, at 2pm on Tuesday.
The suspects were wearing orange high-vis overalls and officers were flagged down by members of the public.
In the footage of the arrests, police officers waiting at the entrance can be seen shouting at the gang, “Come upstairs now.”
The police run towards the manhole with search dogs and the animals bark at the ‘workers’ down the hole.
One of the men is then seen slowly ascending a single flight of stairs, at which point an officer says, ‘Sergeant, can you get us some light too?’
A police officer shouts: ‘Police with a dog! Get out now or the dog is coming in!’
As the alleged thief approaches, another officer says: ‘Good evening, continue up the stairs.’
One of the men is seen slowly climbing up a single flight of stairs; Meanwhile, an officer says, ‘Sergeant, can you bring us some light?’
The suspect is asked to raise his hands while climbing the stairs with difficulty
As the alleged thief approaches, an officer says: ‘Good evening, continue up the stairs.’ The suspects were wearing high-vis overalls
The suspect is then asked to raise his hands with difficulty while climbing the stairs.
Three people were arrested and a van full of cables was seized.
The Great Charles Queensway is a seven-minute walk from Birmingham Snow Hill Station.
The area includes a modern, mixed-use development, a landmark 39-story tower with rental homes, workspaces and other amenities.
It is described as a major and distinctive addition to the Birmingham skyline, blending contemporary design with the city’s historic buildings.
