Filmed power thieves: – New industry

– It was the night of 11 January. We have night mode on the phone – both my wife and I. The next day we got a little shock when we saw that there were lots of clips from the surveillance camera on the mobile, says Per Morten Bergh to Dagbladet.

Bergh and his wife are now happily proud that they installed a surveillance camera at the cabin in Gausta in Telemark a couple of years ago.

– What struck me was that we are happy that we have a surveillance camera. It is clear that it is a deterrent, he says.

It was Telemark newspaper who first mentioned the case.

Pulled on the door handle

The surveillance camera – which responds to movement – captured, among other things, a car backing towards the cabin, which is at the end of a cul-de-sac.

– In another clip, we see that they felt at our front door. You hear them talking together and saying that “it’s full of surveillance cameras here”, he says, adding:

– Afterwards, they back up completely towards the terrace, and then we hear that they start charging their electric car.

After apparently charging the electric car for an hour and a half, they left the property.

– Why do you think they pulled the door handle?

– We do not know. The first thing that struck us was that there were some neighbors, but then it might have been natural not to feel the front door, or that it would have been natural for them to call or leave a note for us. We think it was a little more insecure that they did not.

Chopped down a tree – risks imprisonment

– A new industry

Bergh says that several in the local area have reported similar incidents.

– In some cabins you have to pay a lot to top up with electricity. With the high electricity prices we have had, then there are apparently some who have borrowed a little. Stealing electric car power is simply a new industry, he says.

To Telemarksavisa, Bergh says that they usually turn off the power in the fuse box, but that they had rented out the cabin on 11 January.

– Have you found out who is behind it?

– No, I do not really have it. It was almost like we saw the number on the sign, but not quite. And then there are several who have encouraged us to review, but we have not done so.

Bergh does not think it is a crisis that someone apparently stole electricity from him, and maintains that it is probably not a question of large sums.

– That they borrowed or stole some electricity does not really matter. There is no crisis. But it feels insecure when someone walks by the door and sneaks around.

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