Ten workers investigated over alleged copper theft

Guardia Civil officers are investigating ten workers over the alleged theft of almost 800 kilos of copper from a health centre renovation in Alicante, in a case that police say brought in more than €4,000 when the metal was sold as scrap.

According to the investigation, the copper was taken during refurbishment work and later passed to a scrapyard. Officers believe the money from the sales was shared among those involved.

The inquiry, known as operation Ecopinwi, was carried out by the Guardia Civil in the Region of Murcia after investigators linked the missing material to the renovation project. The workers are suspected of a continuing offence of misappropriation.

Police said the material removed included copper piping and cabling, with the alleged losses totalling around 800 kilos. The case remains under investigation and no court ruling has been reported.

How the alleged theft came to light

Investigators say the trail led them to the scrapyard after checks on the renovation site showed that far less copper was reaching the authorised waste stream than should have been expected from the works.

The Guardia Civil has not said whether the ten workers were all employed by the same firm, but Spanish media reports say the operation focused on people linked to the construction and waste removal chain for the project.

The probe adds to a run of theft cases in which valuable building materials are stripped from worksites and quickly turned into cash. Copper is particularly attractive because it can be resold easily once melted down or broken into smaller sections.

At this stage, the investigation is centred on the alleged handling of the copper removed from the health centre works. Authorities have not announced any arrests or court measures.