Chamber approves tougher law against cable theft and robbery

The Chamber of Deputies approved, this Tuesday (8), Bill 4872/2024, which toughens penalties for theft, robbery and receiving of cables, wires and equipment related to the generation of electrical energy and telecommunications.

The proposal, by Sandro Alex, deputy (PSD-PR), had already passed through the CCJ (Senate Constitution and Justice Committee) and now awaits presidential sanction.

The bill amends several laws, including the Penal Code, the General Telecommunications Law, and the Money Laundering Crimes Law, consolidating measures to curb crimes that directly affect essential public services throughout the country.

Among the main changes is the increase in the penalty for theft, which goes from 1 to 4 years in prison to 2 to 8 years. In cases of robbery, the 4 to 10-year sentence may be increased by one-third to one-half, and may reach 16 years if there are aggravating factors such as a public calamity or interruption of essential services.

The proposal also provides for imprisonment of two to eight years for theft of goods that compromise the functioning of public agencies or companies providing essential services. Theft of these same goods will be punishable by six to 2 years.

The approved text also toughens penalties for those who buy, sell, conceal, or store stolen wires and cables. Simple or qualified receiving of stolen goods will now be punished with double penalties, ranging from 3 to 8 years in prison, plus a fine. The measure also extends to receiving stolen cargo.

Protection of public services

The bill considers any crime that results in the interruption of telecommunications, power generation, or transmission services as an aggravating factor. If the interruption is proven to have occurred due to theft, robbery, or damage to equipment, the penalty for this type of interference—currently 1 to 3 years—could be doubled.

In the telecommunications sector, the text also provides for penalties for operators that use cables or wires of illicit origin, even if they have a public concession, authorization, or permit. Penalties range from warnings to loss of the concession.

In return, the project exempts these companies from regulatory penalties if the interruption of services was caused by criminal actions. ANATEL (National Telecommunications Agency) and ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) will be responsible for regulating the suspension of obligations and the extinction of administrative penalties in these situations.

Finally, the proposal amends the Money Laundering Law, increasing the prison sentence for those who attempt to conceal or disguise assets derived from these crimes. The sentence now ranges from 2 to 12 years, with the aim of financially disrupting criminal networks involved in the theft of critical infrastructure.

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