Whenever the Attorney General has reason to believe that one or more persons have been kidnapped, as defined by Title 17?A, section 301, he shall have the authority to order a public utility company employee to cut, reroute or divert telephone lines for the purpose of preventing telephone communication by the kidnapper with any person other than a law enforcement officer or a person authorized by a law enforcement officer to receive or transmit those communications. [PL 1981, c. 242, §1 (NEW).]