This Wednesday, an Orange technician discovered the damage during an intervention in Aiffres, near Niort (Deux-Sèvres). The thieves stole no less than 900 meters of copper cable, report our colleagues from The New Republic. In addition to the financial loss for the telecom provider, subscribers in the area also suffered the consequences of this theft.
The perpetrators operated during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday at a place called La Champanoiserie. The location is relatively isolated and close to the highway in case of a possible leak. But the thieves were not disturbed in their business. They had time to pull and load 900 meters of copper cable into their vehicle before disappearing.
7 euros per kilo of copper
The next morning, residents noticed that nothing was working. Internet or telephone, all services were unavailable. The stolen cables belonged to their supplier Orange, which estimates the damage at 10,000 euros.
At almost 7 euros per kilo on resale, this metal is very coveted by thieves at the moment. The police were called to make initial findings. They were reinforced by a forensic team responsible for taking fingerprints or any DNA traces likely to help trace the suspects.
