Updated | Police arrest three people attempting to steal cables in Floriana

Updated at 12:00 with GO plc statement

Some parts of Valletta may be experiencing internet connectivity problems, as three people were arrested early on Saturday morning while attempting to steal power cables in Floriana.

Police were informed of the robbery at around 4:00am after reports of people cutting fiber optic cables near the Argotti Gardens. Police started searching the area, until a man carrying cables was found nearby. Upon realising that he was seen by police, he tried hiding, but police told him to show himself.

The man was then identified as a 39-year-old Marsaskala resident and was arrested. Police continued their search, until two other men were found and arrested. The alleged perpetrators were identified as a 30-year-old Żejtun resident and a 35-year-old Nigerian man.

The three men are currently being held in the Valletta police station, as police investigations are still ongoing.

GO plc statement

Later on Saturday GO plc stated that cuts through the main fibre cable feeding Valletta and Floriana had left a number of customers with no internet connectivity.

The company stated that its technical team had been on site as soon as its alarms indicated a significant outage in the area, and when the team arrived at the site, they alerted police of the incident. GO could not commence repairs until the police's forensic teams had completed their assessments.

"It is extremely disappointing and disheartening that such incidents keep on occurring. This is not the first time that our services have been impacted due to theft attempts. These individuals do not realise that they are tampering with critical infrastructure that supports civil protection units and other services, on which the country and its people depend," stated a GO spokesperson.

The company appealed for patience and understanding from its customers until services are restored. GO stated that its teams are still on-site and are working tirelessly to restore services as soon as possible, saying that services will be restored in the coming hours.

"It is also extremely frustrating for us too since our resources need to be reallocated to fixing this unanticipated and deliberate damage instead of focusing our efforts on servicing our customers, and the country, not to mention the significant costs to repair which could have been invested elsewhere," the spokesperson concluded.