Tokyo (Jiji Press) — Tokyo police raided four metal shops in the eastern prefectures of Tochigi and Ibaraki on Monday for allegedly buying copper cables stolen by a group of Thai thieves, knowing they were stolen goods.

By October, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department had arrested seven members of a theft ring in Thailand for stealing copper cables from solar power plants in the village of Tsumagoi, Gunma Prefecture, near Tochigi and Ibaraki, and the city of Hinode, west of Tokyo.

According to the MPD, the group was involved in more than 100 cases of copper cable theft, where most of the cables were sold to the four stores. The group is believed to have sold copper cables at least 80 times between February and June, earning a total of ¥46 million.

During questioning, one of the members made a remark to the effect that the four shops bought copper cables knowing they were stolen, according to police sources.

The second-hand goods business law does not require dealers to verify the identification of their trading partners or to keep records of transactions in respect of cut copper cables.

Because of this, it is believed that some metal shops buy copper cables without checking the identities of the sellers, even though they know the cables have been stolen.

“We need to root out malicious dealers who use legal loopholes,” said a senior investigative source.

Copper prices rose as production fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, while supplies fell due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This has led to an increase in the theft of copper cables from solar power plants, mainly in the eastern Kanto region.

In the first half of this year alone, there were 4,161 cases of such thefts, compared to 5,361 cases for the whole of last year. Foreigners represented over 60% of those arrested or subject to other enforcement actions for alleged involvement in such cases, according to the MPD.