Copper wire theft is emerging as a growing concern in Guwahati, with frequent police arrests
Copper theft has become an increasingly common crime in Guwahati in recent months. A scroll through the Guwahati Police's social media handles reveals frequent updates about people being arrested for stealing copper wires.
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Why has copper, a key base metal, gained so much importance that it has become yet another headache for police personnel in Guwahati?
In a coordinated effort to dismantle metal theft networks across the city, multiple police stations have carried out targeted raids, leading to the arrest of over 40 individuals and the recovery of massive quantities of stolen copper, vehicle parts, and electronic items.
As per posts made by the Guwahati Police over the past month, the biggest breakthrough came from the Panbazar Police Station, where officials acted on specific intelligence to dismantle a major organised theft syndicate. A special operation led to the apprehension of 31 habitual offenders. The gang was reportedly involved in the systematic theft of copper cables, electric wires, water meters, mobile phones, and ceiling fans, disposing of the stolen goods through illegal scrap dealers.
Investigations by the Dispur Police Station successfully traced the supply chain of these stolen materials. Following the arrest of an accused, Sabir Ali of Barpeta, his interrogation led investigators to a dump yard in Sorumotoria. The yard, operated by Sanful Ali of Chaygaon, was raided, resulting in the recovery of a huge quantity of stolen copper wires.
In a separate incident, Dispur Police arrested Fulchan Ali (35) and Mofijul Islam (32), both from Fakirganj, seizing stolen electrical copper wires, various copper items, and other materials.
In June, the Basistha Police Station raided multiple hideouts, making a series of successful arrests. A targeted operation at a hideout in Lalmati led to the arrest of Ainal Khan (24) of Hatigaon and Ibrahim Ali, alias Puwali (24), of Goalpara. Police recovered eight pieces of AC copper pipes and 10 kg of electric wires.
Another operation led to the arrest of four accused: Mofidul Islam (28), Raj Suri (23), Tinkul Das (24), and Binod Dua (24). They were caught with 3 kg of stolen copper pipes, copper sockets, vehicle parts, and other stolen items.
Basistha Police also caught Sukur Ali (35) of Siyalmari red-handed with approximately 2 kg of stolen copper and a wire cutter.
Fatasil Ambari Police Station recently intercepted and arrested Kishan Ghosh (20) of Paltan Bazaar and Dip Roy (19) of Noonmati. The duo was found in possession of 10 kg of stolen copper cable wires and a stolen scooty allegedly used to transport the goods.
Gorchuk Police Station arrested Fajirul Ali of Agomoni, and a search of his possession led to the recovery of copper wires.
Likewise, the police crackdown extended to other parts of the city, resulting in significant recoveries of stolen copper wires.
The question now arises: why have thieves fixed their eyes on copper wires? To understand the economics behind this, one has to look at copper prices. Over the past year alone, copper prices on the Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) have risen by about 45 per cent, from around ₹880 per kg to ₹1,286 per kg. This sharp appreciation in prices may have contributed to the increase in theft incidents.
An Officer-in-Charge (OC) of a Guwahati police station, speaking to GPlus, acknowledged that incidents of copper wire theft are increasingly being reported.
"It is perhaps because of its lucrative price that thieves are getting attracted to it. For us, it is very difficult to prevent such petty thefts," the police official said.
Police said that even after apprehending a thief, it is often difficult to trace the stolen copper wires back to their original source.
"There is hardly any mechanism for tracing copper wires. Traceability is an issue," another Officer-in-Charge (OC) of a Guwahati police station told GPlus.
Police ruled out the existence of any organised criminal racket behind these thefts, linking most cases instead to drug addicts looking for quick cash.
Notably, copper is the backbone of modern industry, valued for its exceptional electrical and thermal conductivity as well as its corrosion resistance. It is widely used in electrical grids, renewable energy systems, electric vehicles (EVs), and various industrial machinery.
As Guwahati grapples with the rising number of copper wire thefts, the question remains: is this the work of a well-coordinated racket or of desperate individuals driven by drug addiction? While police continue to crack down on suspects and recover stolen goods, the frequency of these thefts points to deeper underlying issues. Many also suspect that scrap dealers may be fuelling the crime by providing a market for stolen goods.