Copper theft may not be the most glamorous crime in the world but it is big business.

It has grown to become a “multi-billion problem worldwide”, said Terry Goldsworthy, associate professor in criminal justice and criminology at Bond University, on The Conversation .

More attractive target

Metal theft is nothing new but it’s “on the rise, largely linked to soaring commodity prices”, said Wired .

This is especially true for copper, “a crucial component in everything from solar panels to electric vehicles and computer chips to plumbing parts”, said The Logic .

Having crashed nearly a decade ago due to factors including a Chinese ban on scrap imports, its price has steadily risen since the pandemic and is now roughly 30% more expensive than it was five years ago. This makes copper

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