KINGSTON, Jamaica - The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) last night, experienced yet another attempted break-in by scrap metal thieves at its major storage facility in Kingston.

According to the JPS this is the seventh attempted break-in of the facility by armed men since the recent announcement of the reopening of the scrap metal trade. In addition, the JPS said it has been having similar problems at its storage facilities in other parishes.

Head of Security at JPS, Major George Kates, explained that the threat posed by scrap metal thieves is a constant challenge, which has forced JPS to spend millions of dollars to install comprehensive security systems at all its facilities.

“The intruders have been intent on getting their hands on the material we use on our power system, as they are fully aware of the metal composition and value of the wires and other equipment,” Kates said.

“We have actually had cases of scrap metal thieves being severely burnt during attempts to remove material from our operating facilities. We are concerned that the increased activity will significantly compromise our operations, and could even result in loss of life,” Major Kates added.