WIRED FOR DRUGS

Recycling Sting Nets 18 Arrests

VICTORVILLE - After a lengthy investigation into hundreds of copper
theft reports, the detectives at the Victorville Sheriff's station
thought they'd try something new.

They sat back and let the criminals come to them.

During a day-long operation at a local recycling center Monday, the
team arrested 18 individuals on various charges such as possession
of a controlled substance, outstanding warrants and being a parolee
at large. And, of course, there were arrests for possession of stolen
property, namely copper.

Theft of the metal has been on the rise since the beginning of the
year and authorities estimate that the majority of the crimes are
committed to score drugs. Most recently there have been dozens of
break-ins at housing units on the former George Air Force Base by
thieves trying to find copper pipes.

Drug addicts who need their $20 worth of meth are going to
construction sites to get what copper they can to recycle. They
would do that, get their drugs and in a day or two they'd be back
trying to steal. It spread through the drug community as a way to
get quick cash for drugs," Detective Sergeant Bobby Hughes of the
San Bernardino County Sheriff's Victorville station said Tues- day.

"The common denominator here is methamphetamine and the theft of
wire," added Detective John Wickum.

In fact, a methamphetamine lab was uncovered last week on Topango
Road as a direct result of the investigation into theft of copper
wire, Wickum said.

Another facet of the investigation recently led to a ring of five
copper thieves, who have since been arrested, who were stealing so
much copper on a regular basis that they were making a living at it.

Detectives decided to set up shop at a recycling center to see who
would come in.

"We just talked to people about the stolen copper problem when they
entered. Nine out of 10 people said they heard about it or read
about it. And in the course of that, we found a lot of people with
drugs and wire," Hughes said.

On Monday the center, which is not being named, was offering about
$2.80 per pound of copper, Hughes said. That amount was slightly
higher than other area showing five feet that is coated to protect
the copper from the dirt was recovered during the operation. That
material is believed to have come from the Barstow area.

Because it is meant to be used only by large commercial contractors
it was clear that the copper cable was stolen, officials said. They
also recovered a significant amount of commercial telephone wire
that was stolen.

"Anything that looks like wire, they're cutting it. They don't even
know what they're stealing," Hughes said, explaining that the
telephone wire is useless.

Detectives also found that in order to pass off new and stolen
copper as "believable," thieves have begun burning the copper to
make it look older and used. Many types of copper wire also have a
plastic casing on them, and Hughes said since the metal is worth
more with that casing removed, throwing the metal into a bonfire
quickly removes the plastic and ages the metal.

"Since they thought cops were looking for new wire they're trying to
make their wire look old. Now they can say they found it on the side
of the road. That's what the crooks are telling us," Hughes said.
"They get less money per pound for it because it's not clean but
they think they won't get questioned for it."

The technique obviously didn't fool authorities who also recovered
large amounts of burned copper wire on Monday.

Of the 18 people arrested, two were parolees at large and 11 had
warrants out for their arrest.