Copper thefts have seen a significant surge in Gipuzkoa over the last year, according to data provided by the Ertzaintza. In 2025, 167 complaints were registered in the territory, more than double the 79 recorded the previous year. This increase is directly linked to the rising market price of copper, which has reached historical highs since early 2026 and has seen a 40% year-on-year increase.
Across Euskadi, complaints for copper theft rose by 39%, from 338 in 2024 to 471 in 2025, with 224 in Bizkaia and 80 in Álava. Gipuzkoa experienced the most pronounced increase, with complaints doubling. Regarding arrests, the Ertzaintza detained 27 people in 2024 and 71 in 2025, nearly tripling the previous year's figure.
As the price of copper increases, so do the complaints for its theft.
According to the Ertzaintza, thieves primarily use two modus operandi. The most common involves cutting a section of cable or conductor containing copper, due to the simplicity of the procedure. The second most frequent method is stealing materials that contain copper, such as motors, elevators, or pipes, to extract the metal later. These crimes are not confined to a single location but occur in any infrastructure where copper is found, including construction sites, power lines, industrial facilities, railway tracks, and even private homes.
The Ertzaintza distinguishes between two types of perpetrators: habitual offenders who exploit oversights to steal small quantities and quickly sell them to nearby scrap yards; and more structured criminal groups that operate on large infrastructures, conduct prior studies, and move to other provinces after committing the theft to sell the material in specialized locations where its illicit origin is known.
