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Guardia Civil officers have arrested two men in Cartagena after 200 kilos of bare copper cable was taken from a strategic industrial site in the Valle de Escombreras and later recovered, according to investigators.
The men, both local residents, are suspected of robbery with force and handling stolen goods. Officers say the cable was found in a metal recycling yard in the Campo de Cartagena area and returned to the company affected.
Probe began after the break-in
The inquiry was led by the Guardia Civil’s ROCA unit, which specialises in rural and industrial thefts. Investigators say the alarm was raised in September, when the material was reported missing from the site.
According to the investigation, the offenders cut through the perimeter fence to get inside the compound, where the cable had been stored on wooden reels. Officers later found cutting tools, a torch, clothing and several rolls of cable hidden in vegetation near the premises.
Police focused on two men who had been identified by a patrol in the early hours near the industrial estate on the night of the theft. They were reportedly wearing clothing intended to make identification more difficult, had gloves on and were travelling in a vehicle with the rear seats removed to increase its carrying capacity.
Recycling yard led to recovery
Officers then checked metal recycling centres across the Campo de Cartagena and located the stolen cable. One of the recovered reels still had a tie made from packing tape that matched material found at the site, which investigators say linked the suspects to the theft.
The case adds to a series of copper theft investigations in the region, where the metal remains a frequent target because of its resale value and use in industrial installations.
