Chennai: Keep a close watch on your air conditioners this summer —thieves are out to strip copper wires and tubes from them. In the past week, several residents of low-rise buildings in Adyar, Palavanthangal and Kilpauk complained that copper wiring connecting the outdoor units of split ACs with the indoor units were stolen.“One evening last week, I found that my AC was running, but not cooling. The repairman found that the tube was broken and the copper wiring was removed. I spent 4,000 to replace it,” said Saravanan, a resident of Indira Nagar’s 11th Cross Street. In Palavanthangal, three cases of theft were reported last week from apartments on Bharathiar Street alone. With seven instances of such theft reported since Feb 23, residents of Kasturba Nagar filed a representation to the police and the Chief Minister’s Special Cell, calling for intensified patrolling.Adyar assistant commissioner of police R Murugesan said. “Vigilance will be intensified. We will keep an eye out to nab the miscreants.” But no case has been registered so far. In several cases, thefts were foiled by alert residents. A Radhakrishnan of 3rd Cross Street, Kasturba Nagar, said two attempts at the City Star Silver Springs Apartments were foiled. “But the tubes were damaged. Our security ran into miscreants before they could steal the wires. We took their photos and gave them to the police,” he said. In Kilpauk’s Secretariat Colony, an attempt was made at an independent house. A constable from the S9 station in Palavanthangal said the issue was common and most of the culprits were teenagers, aged 16-19. “The boys may make up to 500 by selling these wires and tubes,” he added. “Most of the stolen copper is melted and sent to manufacturing or recycling industries. But sometimes, it can be used as an alternative piece in other products, affecting quality,” said Mukesh Chandani, president, All India Radio and Electronics Association.
