Hunt for 'cardboard crusader' after $44,000 heist from Aussie construction sites
Copper theft — a 'lucrative and attractive venture for thieves' — has increased in prevalence in recent years, according to police. But despite repeated warnings, thieves are still seeking out the metal to strip and sell on the black market for cash.
And this week was no exception, with two separate copper thefts from suburban construction sites prompting Victorian Police to ask the public for their help. At about 4.45am on Wednesday, officers claim a man arrived at a housing development in Bonshaw, on the outskirts of Ballarat, wearing a cardboard box over his head.
He allegedly used a saw and bolt cutters to force his way through a fence before fleeing the scene with a wheelbarrow and construction equipment, including electrical copper wiring worth around $40,000, police said.
CCTV footage released by Ballarat Crime Investigation Unit detectives shows the man, who has been nicknamed the 'cardboard crusader', allegedly loading the stolen items into the wheelbarrow while struggling to balance the box on his head.
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$4,000 of copper stolen from second construction site
It appears it was a busy morning in Ballarat, with another construction site also targeted further down the road between midnight and 6am on Wednesday. It's understood an offender forced entry, cut off the power and stole around $4,000 of copper, police said.
'There was no CCTV footage from this site, but police didn't need to think too much outside the box and believe the two incidents are linked,' they added.
Anyone who witnessed either of the incidents or has CCTV/dashcam footage that may help officers in their investigation is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, the federal government has estimated the annual cost of metal theft is valued at well over $100 million. While copper theft is being felt across the country, the issue is particularly bad in Queensland and cost the state a whopping $4.5 million in damages to the electrical network in 2023 alone.
Depending on the type and quality, copper can fetch as much as $10 per kilogram. It's been estimated that 90 per cent of all copper theft takes place at night or on weekends.
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