Two men were arrested in Waikato on Thursday after police interrupted an attempted scrap metal theft from underneath a historic river bridge.
Officers on a routine patrol along State Highway 25 in Kopu, near Thames, spotted a vehicle at about 6 p.m. that they recognized as belonging to a person with a proclivity for scrap paraphernalia, according to Waikato Police.
“Sensing something wasn’t right, they stopped to investigate,” police said. Authorities heard loud banging, smashing, and crunching echoing from beneath the structure over the Waihou River.
The sounds came from beneath the old Kopu Bridge. It is a heritage-listed central swing-span crossing that opened in 1928 and has been idle since the opening of the new two-lane Kopu Bridge in December 2011, according to Allied Media data.
Officers called for backup and established an observation point on the parallel Waihou River Bridge to monitor the suspects and block potential escape routes. After nearly an hour, the offenders gradually worked their way back along the girders and found police waiting for them.
A search of the vehicle uncovered numerous items of “scrap” metal, including wiring from under the bridge. Police seized the car and its contents.
“It wasn’t scrap metal before they got to it, but they’ve smashed through wood on the girders to access the wires and caused a decent amount of carnage,” Inspector Mike Henwood said.
“This offending is especially frustrating because the damage that’s caused far outweighs the few dollars they would have made if we hadn’t stopped them,” Henwood said.
Two Thames men, aged 42 and 56, were charged with theft and wilful damage. The 42-year-old was due to appear in the Hamilton District Court, while the 56-year-old is due to appear in the Thames District Court on November 17.
Metal theft has generated legislative and economic concern. Lord Faulkner of Worcester said that rising values, particularly for copper, have driven illegal scavenging to extreme levels. Metal thefts cost the United Kingdom economy £770m a year, according to industry estimates from the Association of Chief Police Officers.
They routinely target vital infrastructure such as electrical power lines, statues, war memorials, drain covers, manhole covers, telecom cables, and railway signalling wire. These crimes frequently trigger severe public disruptions and life-threatening hazards.
Lawmakers have faced persistent calls to overhaul outdated regulations, specifically replacing the Scrap Metal Merchants Act 1964 with updated laws that increase maximum penalties, outlaw cash transactions, and institute a proper licensing system for dealers. Supporters of reform have also promoted public initiatives, such as the online e-petition Cashless Scrap Metal Trade – Amendment to Scrap Metal Merchants Act 1964, to combat the illicit market.