Rise in copper thefts affects infrastructure
The global surge in copper theft is worsening the disruption of energy and communications networks, with the largest theft in Chile valued at nearly one billion dollars. This is occurring amidst a more than 40% rise in metal prices, reaching approximately $14,000 per ton. As a result, organized crime has increasingly targeted cable and wire networks, especially toward Asian markets. Electricity and power grids in countries such as the UK, France, Brazil, and Spain have been heavily impacted, with theft rates increasing by 700% since 2022, causing outages and significant financial losses. To address this issue, it is recommended to tighten oversight of scrap metal markets, develop innovative protection technologies like nanotechnology for metal tracking, and enhance international cooperation to dismantle smuggling and money laundering networks.
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