‘Strong signal’ sent to Europe’s metal thieves

Europe – Through a two-day operation at the end of May, law enforcement authorities ‘have sent a strong signal to the gangs of organised metal thieves who operate all over Europe’ as well as to ‘the many scrap yards that accept all kinds of metal with ”no questions asked”’, according to EU agency Europol.

Authorities in 20 European countries made a total of 271 arrests, identified 146 cases of theft and checked 8300 scrap metal dealers. With support from Europol, checks were targeted at scrap yards, construction sites and ′other hot spots for metal theft′. Particular attention was paid to scrap yards already suspected of handling stolen goods.

The operation, driven principally by the Belgian Federal and Judicial Police, was part of an on-going initiative from the European Multidisciplinary Platform against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) that focuses on organised property crime. Information gathered during the operation will be analysed by Europol to pinpoint the identities and main methods of the individuals and gangs involved in this illegal trade.

′Metal theft is not a victimless crime – it can have a devastating impact on individuals, communities and businesses,′ states Europol director Rob Wainwright. ′The overall damage caused by metal theft far exceeds the value of the stolen metal itself and can severely affect key infrastructure and services such as railways, traffic controls and telecoms networks. This crime phenomenon can only be tackled through consistent cross-border law enforcement co-operation, and the use of Europol’s information systems and analysis capabilities.′

According to Europol, police intelligence confirms that stolen metal ′is often transported across several borders and sold as scrap, or for recycling, far away from the scene of the crime′.

For more information, visit: www.europol.europa.eu