A new report from the FBI says that theft of copper and other metals jeopardizes the U.S. infrastructure. And we are just talking old phone wire in abandoned buildings; and we aren’t talking just the tech industry, but copper tubing at construction sites as well as spools of TV cabling.
According to the FBI
“The demand for copper from developing nations such as China and India is creating a robust international copper trade,” and as the global supply of copper continues to tighten, “the market for illicit copper will likely increase.” From 2001 until 2008, the price of the metal has increased by more than 500 percent.
- The thieves—many of whom are drug addicts or gang members—may act individually or as part of organized groups and are interested in the quick cash they get from selling copper to scrap metal dealers.
- Their targets include electrical substations, railroads, security and emergency services, and other sensitive sites. Already, copper thefts have been responsible for shutting down railway systems and even 9-1-1 emergency systems-