Copper thieves plunge suburbs into darkness putting lives at risk for $40/kg

A spate of blackouts in housing estates is being blamed on a spike in illegal copper theft, prompting calls for loopholes in the law to be closed to crack down on blackmarket sales to pawnbrokers. WATCH THE VIDEO

Police and security guards arrest a man trying to steal copper wire from a Scenic Rim work depot. Picture: Ergon

A spate of blackouts in housing estates across southeast Queensland is being blamed on a spike in illegal copper theft, prompting calls for loopholes in the law to be closed to crack down on blackmarket sales.

Along with housing estates, thieves have been pilfering copper wiring from train stations, shopping centres and sports clubs, and flogging it off on the black market where they can get more than $40/kg from scrap metal dealers.

The blackouts and criminal activity have stirred public safety concerns after entire suburbs which have gone dark.

Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery has urged the state government to amend the Second-Hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act to bar the sale of copper wire to pawnbrokers.

Under the current law, thieves can take stolen copper to a pawnbroker without proof of identity, receive a cash payment, and just walk away.

Mr Flannery said the move would bring Queensland into line with other states.

He said sneaky thieves had targeted building sites where the ground had been recently dug up for the copper wire, along with sports fields, and footpaths where street lighting was being installed.

Two men scope the Moreton Rail Trail for copper wire in April. Police said they returned the following night. Picture: Contributed

He said along with the exorbitant expense of replacing the copper wire, public safety was at risk as the thugs cut the power before pulling out the wires, also pulling the plug on the CCTV network.

“It is a statewide issue, but in Moreton Bay there has been a sharp spike in copper thefts at project sites and even a train station that’s been hit five times in the last six weeks,” he said.

“Some simple legislative changes could effectively end the resale market for stolen copper immediately, which would be much more effective than any amount of CCTV, deterrent devices, or stretching police, Energex, and council resources.

“It’s ludicrous, there’s no proper accounting or records here that police can follow-up on to track down criminals.

“This legislative oversight has enabled a black market, and we need to close that loophole immediately.”

A man is arrested for alleged copper wire theft in southeast Queensland in 2020. Picture: Ergon

The proposed changes would bar scrap metal dealers from paying cash for scrap metal and require scrap metal dealers to report suspicious transactions to police.

It would also require scrap metal dealers to keep and maintain corresponding records of transactions for buying the copper wire, including details of the person selling the scrap metal.

Last month, police arrested a man and a woman for stealing copper from an unoccupied house being developed on Robbs Rd in Morayfield.

A 42 year-old Veresdale Scrub woman was charged with two counts of entering a premises and committing an indictable offence and stealing.

A 50 year-old Deception Bay man was charged with two counts of entering a premises and committing an indictable offence, stealing and possession of a dangerous drug.

Both are due to appear in the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court this month.

Moreton Mayor Peter Flannery, left, and Acting Police Inspector Shane Draper inspect some important copper wire at Bunya where surveillance is in place. Picture: MBRC

In 2021, Moreton police received more than eight reports of thefts of copper mainly at construction sites and along the rail corridor at Kippa-Ring, Kallangur and Mango Hill. Construction sites at Elimbah, Narangba and Burpengary East were targeted, along with a sporting field at Dakabin.

Moreton Region was not the only council where copper theft has put people’s lives at risk.

Logan residents have also been subjected to blackouts in the past five years with Triple Cee Shopping Centre, on Kingston Rd, at Logan Central stripped of its copper wiring five times in 2021.

All power had to be turned off at this Logan shopping centre when thieves hacked through copper wiring from the underground carpark. Picture: Supplied

In 2020, Energex said a would-be copper thief was lucky to be alive after chopping through an 11,000-volt cable with an axe and taking out power to more than 800 homes in Slacks Creek.

In Brisbane, a business in Egar St, Northgate was allegedly broken into and copper wire stolen from a generator on the weekend of Friday, May 26.

An electronic sign, near the Gateway Motorway, at Deagon was targeted and copper wiring stripped around midnight on Monday, May 29.

A business on Nudgee Rd, Hendra was broken into and copper wire stolen from the switchboard room, causing significant damage on Wednesday, May 31.

Senior Constable Jo Arthur said police relied on locals as their eyes and ears, urging residents to watch for suspicious activity when people looked like they were removing items from places such as construction sites, sporting fields, rail corridors, road construction areas, government utility property and community venues.

“These are organised, cunning criminals who have become so emboldened some thefts are happening in broad daylight,” she said.

“We’ve had reports of thieves dressing up as Energex or Powerlink crews, setting up orange traffic cones, and ripping the wire out of the ground in front of passers-by.

“We’ve even had reports of kids ripping up some wire and riding down the street with it attached to their bikes to strip it out of the ground.

“Honestly, it’s a wonder someone hasn’t been killed yet, because they’re playing with live electrical wires.”

Originally published as Copper thieves plunge suburbs into darkness putting lives at risk for $40/kg