These are cut electrical cables that the National electricity Company (SNEL) recovers from various sites, especially after attempted vandalism. The 59 tonnes disappeared while they were kept in two secure containers. However, Likasi’s storage site is protected by soldiers of the Republican Guard.
The Katanga region is regularly faced with the flight of copper cables, which disrupts the distribution of electricity. These cables, composed of pure copper, have a high market value. At the current price of $ 9,195 per tonne, the stolen cargo is estimated at nearly $ 550,000.
Exported
According to sources close to the provincial government, these cables are sold in local copper processing units. Some would also be exported to southern African countries, notably to the Konkola industrial zone in Zambia, where many treatment facilities are established.
A year ago, another important batch of cut copper cables, wrapped in 72 raffia bags, had been discovered in Lubumbashi by the police in the warehouse of a private company.
