Latest news with #DaveDudley
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Late-night encounter on shopping centre roof highlights sinister new trend
A sinister new crime trend sweeping across Australia, and causing millions of dollars worth of damage, appears to show no signs of slowing down. A 50-year-old man was arrested on Sunday night after police allege he and another man tried to steal copper from a building under construction in Townsville. Footage released by Queensland authorities shows two officers climbing onto the shopping centre's roof before shining a torch on a man standing in the corner wearing a camouflage shirt and hood. One of the officers is then seen taking photos of a wheelie bin brimming with copper cables. The 50-year-old is now facing numerous charges, including entering a premises with intent to commit an indictable offence and possessing property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence. He will appear in Townsville Magistrates Court on July 4. Queensland Police have urged anyone with information about the ongoing investigation to contact authorities. 👮 Thieves dressed as tradies costing Aussies millions in nationwide trend 🏡 Tradie's disbelief as thieves 'rip out' $300 item from under Aussie home 💰 Woman's surprise passenger on Aussie road prompts $376 fine The latest incident comes just weeks after Dave Dudley, who runs Tidy Up Townsville, stumbled across a burnt-out patch of grass and sand at what he claims was a 'copper cooking' site on the side of a road. The well-known method involves pouring petrol onto copper to burn and strip off any unwanted materials from the metal, such as plastic or insulation, before it is sold. Many parts of the country have been grappling with copper theft in recent years, with people stealing it from homes and building sites and selling it to scrap metal dealers who melt and reshape it for reuse. However, the 'lucrative and attractive venture for thieves' is particularly prevalent in Queensland. In 2023 alone, the illegal act cost the state $4.5 million in damages to the electrical network, with culprits even reportedly dressing as tradies to avoid detection while they make away with live wires. "We've had instances where copper thieves have taken up to 1,000 metres of cable in one night. That's a significant amount of damage to the network,' Chris Graham, an Energex area manager, previously told Yahoo. 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. 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. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Roadside find reveals 'disgusting' trend sweeping across Australia: 'A massive issue'
Materials tossed onto the side of the road near a burnt-out patch of grass and sand highlight the worsening trend of copper theft in Australia, with a man who has stumbled upon the "congealed mess" at several sites telling Yahoo News the crime is sprouting new, worrisome behaviour. Dave Dudley runs Tidy Up Townsville, a group of over 4,000 members who gather regularly to clean up local dump sites around the north Queensland city. He was dirt biking on Monday morning when he found pieces of charred plastic as well as tyres, bricks and discarded kitchen items along Port Access Road, an area not far from the CBD. Dave claims the area showed clear signs of what he calls "copper cooking" — the act of pouring petrol onto copper to strip off any unwanted materials from the metal, such as plastic or insulation, before it is sold. It's a well-known method of stripping copper, with two males recently arrested in Alice Springs after they were suspected of burning copper cable in bushland. Many parts of the country have been grappling with copper theft in recent years, with people stealing it from homes and building sites and selling it to scrap metal dealers who melt and reshape it for reuse, and Townsville is no different. "Either they go out there and strip it manually, like, run a knife down it to take all the plastic off, or the other easier method is to just sit it in a pile on the ground, and then pour a bit of petrol over it and torch it," he told Yahoo News. "It's burnt, but it's still resaleable." Dave said the site was "pretty disgusting" and the mess "was spread several metres" along the road. Yahoo News has reached out to Townsville Council for comment. The behaviour was condemned by the state's Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) who confirmed to Yahoo News officers are aware of it occurring recently. The spokesperson also warned that any type of dumping on public land was not permitted and offenders could face fines of over $12,000 for dumping large amounts of waste. "Dumping waste can potentially harm native wildlife and impact nearby soil and water, while also diminishing the experience of park goers," the DETSI spokesperson sad. "We are dedicated to preserving our protected areas in Townsville from dangerous environmental consequences." As a Townsville local, Dave said his concern continues to rise over this type of behaviour and in a bid to help, he started logging locations in the city where "copper cooking" has been reported. He started a Facebook page and said locals continue to reach out to him, with 52 locations now logged since the start of the year. "It's a massive issue in Townsville," he said. "What's left is just an oily, congealed mess that's getting washed into the waterways and causing pollution." Yahoo News has sought comment from Queensland Police on the reports of copper cooking. 🚗 Driver's dodgy number plate move leads to massive find inside car 😲 Grim 300kg find in Aussie river exposes growing nationwide crisis 📸 Photo exposes illegal act 'surging' across Australia According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, the annual cost of metal theft is valued at well over $100 million, and in Queensland the crime has tripled since 2020. Copper is commonly stolen from vacant homes, construction sites and road infrastructure such as piping and light poles. Not only is it costly and inconvenient to energy providers and new homeowners, but it's also unsafe with tradies taking the brunt of the issue as criminals wander onto worksites after hours. CCTV footage of two alleged criminals dressed as tradies attempting to steal materials was captured at an Energex site in Queensland. Another Gold Coast tradie called out the behaviour of criminals who stole water meters from his site last year, saying online he "hopes your $20 in scrap copper was worth it because this is going to be a nightmare to fix, so, cheers for that." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
