Business Daily (BBC World Service)

Episode: Copper theft: A growing economic problem

Aired: January 28, 2026
Host: Russell Padmore

Episode Overview

This episode of Business Daily investigates the sharp rise in copper theft across the globe. Driven by soaring copper prices, criminals—both opportunistic and organized—are stealing the valuable metal from sources ranging from telecom and rail networks to mining and churches. The episode explores how this theft is disrupting industries, the economic toll it exacts, and efforts to combat it, with insights from market analysts, industry figures, law enforcement, and victims.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Surge in Copper Prices and Rising Theft

• Copper prices hit record highs in 2025: The London Metal Exchange saw prices reach $12,000 a tonne, a 40% rise—most significant spike in a decade.

• Increased demand: Growth due to batteries for electric vehicles, solar panels, and electrical cables.

• Global production disruptions: Accidents at mines in Chile, DRC, and Indonesia worsened supply.

  Charles Cooper (Wood Mackenzie): “Most mining companies are making bumper profits, but they're finding it increasingly challenging to deliver… All of this is coming at a time when the copper price is reaching record sort of highs.” [03:23]

2. Global Scale of Copper Theft

• A truly global crime: The theft of copper is rampant worldwide—from South Africa to Japan, the US, the UK, and Chile.
• Massive financial impact:
  • US: Metal theft costs businesses ~$1 billion/year; AT&T saw a jump from 71 cases (2021) to over 2,000 annually.
  • South Africa: Rail and electricity losses exceed $2 billion/year.
  • Japan: Reports of metal theft now 13 times higher than five years ago.

3. How Copper Thefts Are Operated

• Criminal tactics:

  • Impersonate utility workers, use ladders, bolt cutters, saws.
  • Attack infrastructure directly—stealing cables from poles, underground vaults, and dragging wires down with vehicles.
  • Violence and organization are increasing, often involving armed gangs.

  Alex Menard (NCTA, US): “They’ll pretend to be repair crews and pull up in a truck with yellow safety vests… Other times, it’s brute force.” [06:14]

• Disruption cause: Major outages for telecom, power, and transport—affecting up to 50,000 customers at once and causing delays across rail networks (e.g., Spain, UK).

4. Economic and Social Consequences

• Repair costs and compensation:

  • Single incidents range from $5,000 to $500,000, total repair can run into millions.
  • Service disruption leads to compensation claims and customer dissatisfaction.

  Alex Menard: “It is expensive for the providers to compensate customers who don’t get service for a long time.” [07:02]

• Vital infrastructure at risk: The damage impacts everything from public safety (streetlights, rail signals) to business livelihoods and cultural heritage (e.g., churches losing bells and roofing).

  David Parkinson (Ecclesiastical Insurance, UK): “Lead sheet, copper, roof coverings… Even copper lightning conductors, they are being stolen… We’ve even had church bells stolen.” [15:35]

5. Focus on Chile: Crime at the Source

• Copper is critical to Chile's economy: 57% of exports, employing around 1 million.

• Organized crime increasing: Groups like Venezuela's Tren de Aragua are now involved; greater violence along key transit lines and at ports.

  Professor Cindy Arnson (Johns Hopkins University): “There is a great deal of evidence that Venezuelan criminal gangs... are engaging in increasingly violent and brazen crimes which are shocking to Chileans.” [10:34]

• Security challenges:

  • Geography makes policing difficult (long, narrow country with dispersed mines).
  • Resistance to military involvement; private security is growing but costly.

6. Law Enforcement and Recycling Safeguards

• Reactions across the globe:

  • US and Australia: Authorities urge scrapyards to check seller credentials.
  • Ireland: Scrapyards record IDs, vehicle details, and maintain logs of all transactions.

  Paddy McDade (Donegal, Ireland): “First thing we do is we take their id, verify… set them up on our computer system… We have a database there of who's brought in what and when." [17:56]

• Pressure on law enforcement:

  • Increasing collaboration with police.
  • Education campaigns to encourage public reporting and deter metal recyclers from buying stolen goods.

  Alex Menard: “This isn’t petty theft or vandalism. This is actually attacking critical infrastructure… getting them to prioritize, seeking out and arresting the criminals, and then of course, prosecuting them.” [07:25]

7. The Recycling Dilemma: Where Does Stolen Copper Go?

• Markets like China are top destinations for recycled copper, drawn by high prices.

• Difficult to fully trace the illegal supply chain, though exports tend to follow the money.

  Paddy McDade: “Probably go wherever is paying the most for it, obviously... so China, a lot of the materials do go there.” [18:55]

8. Is There an End in Sight?

• The cycle of theft closely follows copper prices; when prices rise, so does crime.

• Vigilance and regulation can mitigate, but are unlikely to eliminate theft entirely.

  Paddy McDade: “As long as commodities are as high as they are, it is very lucrative for them people to be going down that avenue of theft.” [19:10]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the scale of organized crime:

  "There are criminal gangs... The violence has gone way up." – Professor Cindy Arnson [10:34]

• On economic vulnerability:

  “Today, around 57% of all exports in Chile belong to copper, a major engine of jobs...” – Gabriel Ugate [13:12]

• On law enforcement’s struggle:

  "We've been doing a lot of collaboration with the law enforcement community to explain the problem to them. This isn't petty theft or vandalism. This is actually attacking critical infrastructure…” – Alex Menard [07:25]

• On the recycling industry's responsibility:

  “You just have to look after your own business and try and proceed and invest and proceed as best you can.” – Paddy McDade [19:34]

Key Segment Timestamps

| Segment Topic | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------------------------------|------------| | Episode Introduction – Impact of copper theft | 01:17 | | Copper market surge, causes, and global demand | 02:25-03:53| | Global scale and financial costs of copper theft | 04:53 | | Methods of copper theft & infrastructure impact (US focus) | 06:14 | | Cost and law enforcement responses (US) | 07:02-07:43| | Organized crime in Chile and South America | 10:34 | | Security challenges and solutions in Chile | 11:56 | | Copper theft outside mining—churches, railways, urban infrastructure| 15:02-15:52| | Law enforcement advice and recycling safeguards | 16:04-18:21| | Recycling industry’s role & market destinations (Ireland) | 17:56-18:55| | Closing thoughts: Future prospects and ongoing cycle | 19:03-19:46|

Tone & Language

• Conversational, urgent, and investigative, with a focus on the human and economic costs.
• Insights from authorities, industry insiders, and victims underline the seriousness and complexity of the issue.

Conclusion

The global rise in copper prices has spurred a parallel surge in theft, impacting critical infrastructure, national economies, and everyday people. Despite increased regulation, vigilant policing, and industry safeguards, the lucrative nature of copper theft ensures the problem persists, ebbing and flowing with market values. This episode underscores the need for continued collaboration among law enforcement, industry, and the public—and highlights the immense economic stakes involved.