Copper wire theft in Rio causes BRL 69M in losses

A joint operation by law enforcement agencies and the Rio de Janeiro city government, targeting scrap yards, aims to reduce copper wire thefts in the city, which have caused more than BRL 69 million in losses to municipal coffers from 2021 to 2025.

The first operation by the Integrated Unit to Combat the Theft and Receiving of Stolen Copper Cables and Wires took place this Wednesday (Sep. 2).

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The Traffic Engineering Company (CET-Rio), responsible for installing traffic signals in the city, reported the theft of nearly 500 kilometers of traffic signal cables in Rio, resulting in losses of BRL 27 million.

RioLuz, responsible for street lighting, suffered losses of BRL 42 million, with more than 1.8 km of copper cables stolen from the power grid.

Public officials visited a neighborhood in the city’s northern zone, where two scrap yards were expropriated. The area will be incorporated into urban planning efforts to support more effective public policies, with a focus on environmental and urban regularization.

The initiative aims to reduce the theft of equipment, such as copper cables used in traffic signals, road signs, streetlights, and the power grid, which results in numerous disruptions across the capital.

“The crackdown also targets those who buy and resell stolen goods, in an effort to dismantle this criminal supply chain,” said Marcus Belchior, the municipal secretary of Public Order.