The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have formally charged an individual for deliberately cutting a submarine fiber optic cable that connects Nova Scotia with Newfoundland. However, the authorities clarified that the suspect did not have intentions to harm critical infrastructure or national security.
Identified as a 33-year-old resident of Ingonish, Nova Scotia, the individual was apprehended and charged with causing mischief resulting in damages exceeding $5,000. The Bell Canada cable was disrupted off the Aspy Bay coast in waters 30 meters deep near the northern tip of Cape Breton on December 24 last year. Bell Canada previously suggested that the cable might have been accidentally pulled to the surface and cut due to entanglement with a boat’s anchor.
The cable, shielded by layers of robust wire, measuring three centimeters in thickness, serves as a crucial link for internet, television, and long-distance communication between the two provinces, as described by Bell. Upon examination of the cable ends by repair crews, it was evident that it had been cleanly sliced, suggesting the use of a specialized cutting tool, as reported by the RCMP in February.
In a recent statement, the RCMP disclosed that a comprehensive investigation was conducted, involving collaboration with the federal Fisheries Department and the execution of a search warrant on a vessel docked in Ingonish, Nova Scotia. Cpl. Cory Stead of the RCMP refrained from speculating on the motive behind the cable cutting but emphasized that evidence gathered over the past year indicated no threat to national security or deliberate infrastructure damage.
Spanning approximately 130 kilometers across the Cabot Strait, linking Dingwall, Nova Scotia, and Codroy in Newfoundland, the cable underwent repairs and was buried deep in the seabed using remotely operated vehicles by Bell. Additionally, Stead confirmed a previous cable severance five kilometers from Aspy Bay on January 4, 2024, but insufficient evidence prevented charges at that time.