Caught with stolen copper at scrap yard
Plainclothes officers from the Mossos d'Esquadra arrested a 41-year-old man and a 17-year-old minor on 5 October after catching them attempting to sell 134 kilograms of copper at a scrap yard in the Sant Andreu district of Barcelona. The material, stolen from railway tracks near the future La Sagrera station, was valued at €1,246. The arrest took place just as the suspects delivered the copper and waited to collect payment. Officers acted on a witness report describing two hooded individuals jumping a fence to access the tracks and removing the metal in bags they had hidden nearby.
Minor had outstanding arrest warrant
The 17-year-old suspect was already wanted under an outstanding arrest warrant for another theft with force. He has been reported to the Juvenile Prosecutor's Office, which will manage his case. The 41-year-old man has prior records for similar copper thefts and was placed at the disposal of the judicial authority on 8 October. Both are charged with alleged theft with force.
Plan Via targets railway copper theft
The arrests are part of Plan Via, a joint initiative between the Mossos d'Esquadra and Adif to strengthen surveillance at high-risk points on the railway network. The plan focuses on locations where copper theft could severely disrupt public transport, as well as on scrap yards and metal recycling establishments. Copper cables are frequently targeted for their resale value, but their removal endangers train operations and passenger safety.
Primary sources: mossos.gencat.cat, dsp.interior.gencat.cat. Reported by barcelonapress.com, ground.news, diaricatalunya.cat, EFE, modernetdigital.cat, elperiodico.com, lavanguardia.com, Europa Press Barcelona, elperiodico.cat, Archivo. Segre, Metrópoli Abierta - Urban Life.
