Five arrested for illegal power reconnection attempt in Dominican Republic building

Edesur Dominicana reported the arrest of five people attempting to illegally reconnect power to apartments in the Torre Onix 19 and 20 building in Santo Domingo's National District. The power distributor stated that its technicians had initially disconnected several apartments for lacking valid energy contracts.

According to Edesur, about half an hour after the technicians left, individuals began manipulating the meter panels with tools to restore electricity to the disconnected units. Personnel from Edesur's Fraud Operations Department detected the activity and led to the apprehension of the five individuals.

The arrested parties were taken to a police station for further investigation. Edesur has not identified the detainees or specified their relationship to the building. Dominican law includes penalties for tampering with metering systems and establishing clandestine connections, with cases often prosecuted under the General Electricity Law.

This incident occurs as Edesur intensifies its efforts to combat energy losses and regularize its user base. In the first half of 2026, the company reported over 318,000 actions to reduce losses, including the elimination of 10,560 direct connections and the normalization of approximately 241,000 users. Edesur emphasizes that illegal connections not only bypass billing but also pose safety risks and contribute to distributor losses.