CRIMINALS have devised a relatively new way to lure residents outside their homes to attack and rob them.

The thieves, who usually strike late at night or early morning, have been cutting domestic water pipes in the hope that unsuspecting residents will venture outside to investigate leaks, to their detriment.

The Sunday Observer has learnt of cases in St Mary, St Catherine, Portland, the Corporate Area and Clarendon, although the police say they do not have enough information to back up the stories.

In fact, the force’s high command is in the dark as far as the practice is concerned, although some who operate at lower rank have admitted to hearing of it.

Some residents, who have suffered at the hands of these thieves, told the Sunday Observer that the criminals would normally break water pipes that are connected to the National Water Commission’s main, or directly dismantle pipes that lead water to storage tanks.

“I got up one morning and found that my pipe was cut with a sharp thing, like a hacksaw. All the water leaked out, and I did not hear a thing,” said Portland resident Winsome, who opted not to give her surname.

St Mary resident Fabian Doolam told the Sunday Observer that his pipe was cut, but he didn’t know of it until the following morning, and heard of the scheme when he called the plumber to fix it.

“My pipe was cut when I got up in the morning and when I called the plumber, he told me that he was just coming from another house nearby in which the occupants (a couple) were robbed by two men with guns,” Doolam said.

“I realised that someone had entered the yard when I saw the back gate open, and I had locked it the night before,” he said.

Meanwhile, the couple who was robbed live in the affluent community of Cromwelland, located about two kilometres from the bustling town of Highgate.

The couple, upon hearing the sound of running water outside late at night, went out to investigate and were pounced upon by two men with guns. The men forced the couple inside and proceeded to rob them of money and other valuables.

The robbers had cut a pipe leading to the water main.

Law enforcers have not yet caught the robbers. In fact, last week a constable at the Highgate police station urged the Sunday Observer to call back, as he did not have the details of the incident.

In another incident, also in St Mary, thieves entered the yard of a mother of two and cut a pipe that sends water to a tank.

“I heard the water running. It was sometime after one o’clock in the morning, but I would not dare go outside at that time,” she told the Sunday Observer, while admitting that she heard about the scam only after she related to friends what had happened to her.

“When I got up the next morning, all the water in the tank was gone. It was a good thing that I had some stored in small drums in the kitchen,” she said.

St Mary police chief Superintendent Dudley Scott said that he would be doing some investigations into the matter, while adding that he had no information of any report being made to the police.

“That seems to be a new thing,” Supt Scott said.

“That is something that I will have to check out,” he added.

Acting deputy commissioner in charge of operations Glenmore Hinds said that he had not heard of the incidents.

“I have no information on that matter,” Hinds said when the Sunday Observer contacted him last week.

One family narrowly escaped potential danger in the Molynes Road area of St Andrew two weeks ago, after a water leak developed and the male head of the household stepped out to look at the extent of the damage.

“All of a sudden, is a shadow dat me see inna di yard. When me look good, is a man wid a shine-looking thing inna him hand, and another man further down inna di yard.

“Mu just run back inna di house. Me never stop fi see if a gun him have or wha,” said the man, whose name is being witheld for his protection.

There was no tank in the yard, but the plumber had to be called in to repair the pipe the following day.

“A long time dat a gwaan,” said one resident of West Central St Andrew who spoke to this newspaper last week.

“Me nuh know how police nuh know bout dat,” he said.

One St Catherine resident who admitted to knowing of the activity, is urging others to be on the lookout for perpetrators.

“I know of things like that happening in St Catherine,” the resident said.

“I can only urge all the people to stay in their houses if someone bursts their pipes.

“Your life is not worth a tank of water, which costs about $2,000. You can always get the water back, but you can’t get your life back,” he said.

Meanwhile, Supt Scott said that if citizens are confronted by such a situation, the first thing that they should do is remain calm.

“I don’t want them to go into a panic or become fearful,” Supt Scott said.

“If anyone is faced with a situation like that, just call us and we will respond,” he added.