Gardaí catch Romanian gang over copper thefts

Garda specialist units nabbed a Romanian organised gang in the early hours of yesterday morning in relation to the “industrial theft” of copper wiring in the Midlands.

The booming illegal trade has seen the theft of 142 kilometres of power lines so far this year – which has cost the ESB €4.6 million to replace.

“This is costing the ESB an absolute fortune,” said detective chief superintendent Michael O’Sullivan of the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.