Cops seize 4.6 tons of ‘hot’ copper wire

Policemen from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Northern Metro Manila team seized 4.6 tons of stolen Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) wire from a warehouse owned by a Chinese businessman during a raid Friday in Valenzuela City.

The operation also resulted in the arrest of Jimmy Go, 46, owner of the TPT Junkshop on E. Francisco street in Barangay Gen. T. de Leon, and at least eight other Chinese nationals and his three alleged Chinese-Filipino cohorts.

Superintendent Anthony Aberin, who heads the team, identified the Chinese nationals as Andy Ko, 27; Wu Feifang Wu, 20; Wu Fupai Yang, 20; Wu Cai Xia, 42; Wu Cheng Jun, 57; Wu Sheng Nan Chua, 47; Xu Yana, 37; Ke Jinzhen Chua, 22, and the Chinese-Filipinos as Alvin Ching, 45; Juliet Makate Ching, 40; Robert Makate, 47.

Last week, Nestor Carlos, head of Meralco-North security personnel, sought the assistance of the CIDG team. He claimed that a junkshop in Valenzuela is reportedly engaged in buying and selling stolen Meralco wire in large quantities.

After securing a search warrant issued by Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 173 Judge Rosario Cruz, the CIDG policemen, Meralco personnel and barangay tanods raided the junkshop at around 10 a.m. Friday. The policemen were led by Superintendent Antonio Ricafort, Senior Police Officer 2 Ric Concepcion and PO3 Joseph Ferrer.

The raiding team recovered some 4,600 kilos of assorted copper wire with an estimated value of around P1.1 million from the junkshop’s warehouse. Carlos said Meralco owns the copper wire.

“The arrested individuals could be members of a big-time syndicate stealing Meralco wires and shipping them to other countries for a big profit,” Aberin told The STAR.

Aberin said that his office was still coordinating yesterday with the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) because the arrested Chinese nationals could not present any document to show they are legally staying in the country.

According to Aberin, Go’s junkshop buys the stolen Meralco copper wire for P270 a kilo but the price increases nearly 500-fold once sold to buyers in other countries.

The suspects reportedly molded the copper wire into copper rods and exported them to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea.

The copper rod could be transformed into high-grade copper tubing used in appliances or used in making coins.

Aberin said charges of violation of Republic Act 7832, which penalizes the pilferage of electricity and theft of transmission lines or materials, will be filed against the suspects before the Valenzuela City prosecutor’s office.

The STAR tried to talk yesterday to the detained suspects but they all declined to comment.