Thieves on Vancouver Island made off with a considerable amount of copper wire earlier this week.
Nanaimo RCMP said someone stole more than 2,500 metres of copper wire from along Highway 19, resulting in knocked-out road lightning for two days.
“The incident occurred sometime overnight on Tuesday, April 11, 2023,” said Nanaimo RCMP, “and affected lamp standards located on each side of Highway 19, near the intersection of Ware Road.”
Stealing more than 2.5 kilometres of wiring is no small feat.
Police say Raylec Power reported the theft, with officers being told that the thieves stole the copper wire from 20 lamp standards and 12 junction boxes, with the nearby intersection plunged into darkness.
“Given the sheer volume of copper wire that was removed, the process would have taken a considerable amount of time and energy, and would have required at least a large, full-size truck and a minimum of two people,” said reserve Const. Gary O’Brien.
RCMP say work crews were on the scene first thing on the morning of April 11, and that over two days, the stolen wiring was replaced with aluminum wiring, which has no value.
On Thursday, April 13, the lights were fully restored, with additional security features installed to prevent further theft.
“This theft was not only significant in the amount taken,” said Nanaimo RCMP, “but it also put the motoring public at risk as they travelled along a very busy highway.”
Police did not say how much the stolen copper wire weighed, but did estimate the damage at approximately $20,000.
Various websites list scrap-metal copper going for $2.20 a pound and up, with $3.00 to $3.50 being common. One B.C. website listed scrap copper at $5.49 a pound.
Anyone with information regarding this theft is asked to contact the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345.
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