Cops find copper, 2 arrested

The RCMP in the Lloydminster area have arrested two men after discovering about 180 kilograms of stolen copper.

The arrests early Sunday were made after officers pulled over a van on a routine traffic matter in the town of Lashburn, east of Lloydminster.

Police said they found the copper inside the van and took two men from Saskatoon into custody.

Police are continuing their investigation and are asking anyone with information about the case to call the RCMP at the Lloydminster rural or Maidstone RCMP detachments.

There have been a series of copper thefts in the area over the past two months.

On Nov. 11, 2007, someone stole copper piping and tubing from numerous oil well sites near Hillmond, police said.

Four days later, somebody stole about 90 kilograms of copper wire from the SaskPower compound in Maidstone.

On Nov. 30, someone broke into a business in Lloydminster and 28 large spools of copper wire were stolen.

With the price of copper rising in recent years, police believe the wire is being sold for its scrap value.