A surge in copper prices to near‑record highs is driving a worldwide increase in thefts that threaten telecoms, power and renewable‑energy networks. Police in Chile uncovered the country’s largest ever case, in which criminals sold nearly $1bn worth of stolen copper over five years, shipping the metal to buyers in China. The illicit trade reflects how organized crime groups are exploiting the metal’s soaring value.

In Canada, telecoms giant Bell reported a more than 700 % rise in copper thefts since 2022, with 918 incidents this year affecting tens of thousands of customers. Chile’s largest electricity provider CGE logged a record 1,426 thefts in 2025, stealing 420 km of cable and cutting power for 260,000 households. Similar spikes are seen across Europe, the US and South America, where thieves target rails, EV chargers and solar farms.

The UK recorded a 140 % increase in thefts from solar and wind farms in 2025, while Network Rail logged 111 delay‑causing cable incidents that caused 128,252 minutes of train delays and cost £6.8 mn. Experts say the solution lies in better protecting infrastructure, replacing copper with fibre where possible, and tightening scrap‑metal markets to deter the black‑market trade.