Catalan police upgrade surveillance after copper wire thefts on train lines

The Mossos d'Esquadra, the Catalan police, have increased surveillance in infrastructures such as the railways, where copper thefts can occur. 

The move comes in the wake of the copper theft on May 12 on the morning of the Catalan election, which caused significant disruptions to the commuter service that still see some routes affected.

The police have upgraded the level of surveillance of the Special Operational Plan for Metal (POE) throughout Catalonia, raising it from level 1 to 2, as explained on Thursday by police commissioner Rafel Comas.

Until now, only the regions near Barcelona and Tarragona were in level 2, as these areas saw the most wire thefts. 

Among the new measures being promoted by the police are more pressure on criminals, more preventive traffic checks, and more police intelligence. The law enforcement agency hopes to improve real-time communication with rail operators, increase visual control of the tracks, and increase traffic and helicopter control. 

More theft in Adif

Last year, police recorded 5,885 incidents of copper theft, a lower number than the previous year. However, there were more arrests, up to 271. 

On the other hand, the theft of copper on the Adif railway network, which supplies Renfe, has gone from 199 complaints to 263 in the last year. Railways operated by Catalan authorities only saw 13 complains in this time, 3% of all incidents, although the network is significantly smaller than that of Adif and Renfe’s. 

According to the Mossos, the perpetrators do not act alone. They say they are part of a criminal network, and between two and four people participate in each robbery. 

The participants change from one robbery to the next, making it difficult to identify a criminal group and making lighter sentences more likely in the event of arrest.

How copper cables are stolen

The police commissioner explained how thieves operate when it comes to railway infrastructure. The places where they steal the wire are easily accessible, and there are usually no witnesses or surveillance. 

The wire they take is from the overhead wires that power the trains. They use wooden hangers to hang the cable so they don't get electrocuted. Once on the ground, they cut it at both ends with a specific type of saw.

The cables usually don’t have any plastic protection surrounding them, making them very usable and easy to roll. 

The criminals also remove signal cables (traffic lights and other signals). They peel or burn this stripped cable to remove the plastic that covers it and that may have the Adif logo.

Landfills in the spotlight

The thieves steal the copper to sell it and sometimes team up with the landfills, which is why police carry out inspections there. 

There are 326 garbage dumps in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, and according to the police, 10% of them do not cooperate with the police or even sometimes directly obstruct inspections. 

The theft of copper is a cross-border criminal activity and is directly linked to the price of this metal, which is currently at one of the highest levels in recent years, at €9.50 per kilogram. 

The increase in thefts is directly linked to the strong demand, especially in Asia, the lack of traceability, and the ease with which this metal can be recycled.

The cost of repairing the damage caused by the copper theft on May 12 is estimated at around €15 million and is expected to take around two months to fully restore normal service.