Man charged after allegedly stealing more than 1.5 tonnes of copper

A 51-year-old man will face court today after allegedly stealing more than 1.5 tonnes of copper from construction sites and other locations in the ACT.

In June, police were notified of burglaries at a construction site in Gungahlin where a vehicle, tools, and copper wire were stolen.

Investigations identified the stolen vehicle had attended an address in Florey and when police attempted to speak to the occupants, they observed copper wiring in the backyard.

Police later executed a search warrant at the residence and seized a mobile phone.

Yesterday (Wednesday, 30 July 2025), police attended an address in Bonner to locate a 51-year-old man believed to be responsible for the construction site burglary and theft of the vehicle. He attempted to flee but was caught in the yard of a nearby home.

Following further enquiries, police will allege the man sold more than 1.6 tonnes of stolen copper to a metal recycling centre this year.

He has been charged with two counts of unlawful possession of stolen property, burglary, driving a motor vehicle without consent, and trespass, and is scheduled to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court today (Thursday, 31 July 2025).