A few days ago, the authorities seized more than 500 kilograms of copper at the Save River checkpoint, in the Govuro district of Inhambane. The product is presumed to have been stolen from Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) transformer stations.

The information was provided by the Inhambane Provincial Prosecutor, Pompílio Xavier, at the seminar entitled "Energy theft, fraud and vandalization of electrical infrastructure: impact, mitigation and proposals for action", according to "Noticias".

The event was attended by EDM technicians, judicial magistrates and prosecutors, investigators from the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) and officers from the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM).

Xavier said that the electrical equipment was seized in Vila Franca do Save, after a public passenger transport vehicle was intercepted on its way from Beira to Maputo.

According to the source, 16 bags containing processed copper material were found during the search.

The police then drew up the relevant file and investigations are underway to determine the origin of the goods.

Also quoted by the newspaper, the Public Prosecutor said that the assessment indicates that the material is the result of the vandalization of EDM's infrastructure.

The director of EDM's operational area in Inhambane, Fenias Dimande, revealed that last year the company recorded a loss of more than four million meticais, related to the replacement of vandalized electrical infrastructure.

Dimande said that the money could be used to expand the public network in the neighborhoods, as well as to improve the quality of supply.

It should be noted that the work carried out by EDM, with the support of PRM and the client, resulted in the arrest last year of four people accused of vandalizing and stealing electrical equipment.