Theft of Metal Soars Around The World. Why?

Theft of metal and a sudden increase in scrap metal merchants with seemingly ready cash to purchase from every willing seller in our neighbourhoods are a common feature recently and also in most countries around the world, images of goods carrying vehicles of all sizes laden with scrap metal coming from every possible village that has a piece of metal scrap is a common spectacle on African roads, as the scrap metal buyers then amass the metal and cargo ship it all to Asia, especially to India and China to satisfy the needs of growing economic powers, in building their new cities, as part of their electronic exports and to satisfy the new found wealth of the the new and massive middle classes with expanses of credit available, the demand for cheap metal to convert is on the rise.

Now why is Africa vulnerable? because there is no legislation governing scrap metal purchase, there is barely enough or no environmental legislation relating to scrap metal, there is no information on prices for the poor villagers desperate to make a 'buck', so here comes reverse quasi exploitation, with the ever far reaching tentacles of globalisation affecting our common man in the African village, albeit without a shred of realisation of his participation therein, that his old metal bed or grounded 'Teba' car will end up in a building in China, or as cable in some remote controlled flying toy Helicopter. Globalisation is in, and how does that affect the insurer as the desperate turn to stealing not only the iron sheet roofing of the bus shelter on our streets but also on our homes and buildings such as churches? An excerpt from the Ecclesiastical, a UK Insurer below indicates the effect so far on just one of the insurers

- Brian

www.ecclesiastical.com/ourproducts/insurance/churchinsurance/church_security/theft_of_metal/index.aspx

Theft of metal on the rise

Driven by demand in China, the international price of copper and lead has broken all records over recent months. Prices for zinc, nickel and aluminium are also at their highest since 1996. This has led to an increase in the theft of copper and other metals in all areas of the country.
Nearly every day we receive claims for theft of external metals from churches. Thefts can cost anything from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands. Theft of lead, copper and other metals – from roofs, guttering and lightning conductors – is prompted by the rising price of these materials.

It’s not just the cost of replacing the materials that is the problem, thieves have also torn holes in roofs causing them to leak and ripped stonework away from pinnacles and towers.
The thieves get a fraction of the cost for scrap and they’re causing irreparable damage to some of the nation’s most beautiful and sacred buildings.

Further links to scrap metal theft below

Joeschmo's Gears and Grounds: Metal Theft Tied To Asia
Metal Theft Tied To Asia. The New York Times has finally noticed the massive increase in metal theft around the world, which has usually been linked to the ...

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Non-Ferrous Metal Theft Project (NFTCC)
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTMLNon-Ferrous Metal Theft Reduction. Page - 3 of 7. 2. Background. The theft of non-ferrous metals in South Africa has become a serious problem during ...

Cable theft costs South Africa billions a year
The estimated direct cost of cable theft in South Africa is R500-million a year. ... of copper and the strong demand for the metal, especially from China, ...

Theft Of Metal Soars (from Abingdon Herald)

Theft of Copper and Other Metals - Sculpture Community - Sculpture.net
17 Nov 2007 ... Arising from this, theft of metal objects from public and semi-public places are more .... Location: Adelaide, South Australia.

News - World scrap - Scrap plastic, metal, Paper,Rubber,Electric ...

In U.S., Metal Theft Plagues Troubled Neighborhoods - New York Times

Price Hikes Lead to Rash of Metal Thefts - US News and World Report

China - Israel news : Metal theft and Chinese foreign workers

Theft of metal, theft security
Read Ecclesiastical's advice for church security in order to reduce the risk of metal thefts, particularly bronze church sculptures.

Metal theft - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

International Association of Property Crime Investigators
The theft of metals such as aluminum, brass, copper and platinum is a growing global problem.

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