Europe1 .fr 6:59 p.m., March 8, 2024
From Gironde to Sarthe, the four corners of France are affected by the theft of gutters, particularly from religious buildings.
The precious loot is then resold for its copper at a high price.
A scourge for municipalities which have a hefty bill in order to repair the damage.
Churches which are completely stripped of their gutters.
In recent months, thefts have been increasing in abbey churches in France and the choice of this object is not insignificant.
Gutters are much more valuable than you think.
The latest gutter theft took place in Montval-sur-Loir, in Sarthe.
At the microphone of TF1, the inhabitants of the town have never seen a theft of this scale.
An easier sale than copper cables
On the 1 p.m. news on TF1, the department's gendarmes assure us: this is a first.
These gutters are prized for their precious copper and are more easily resold than cables.
"The cables are all in plastic sheaths. When resold, generally, thieves sell them naked by burning them. But metal recyclers are not allowed to buy back burned cable. They must alert us immediately suite", explains Commander Olivier Maldant, deputy officer in charge of the judicial police of the Sarthe gendarmerie group on TF1.
In Gironde, the thefts took place in broad daylight on several buildings.
The department's gendarmerie told France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine that the thieves "are dressed in yellow or orange vests and construction helmets, posing as professionals sent by town halls".
And the damage is sometimes heavy.
For the commune of Sainte-Eulalie, the bill would amount to nearly 9,000 euros.
A resale regulated by law
The resale of these metals necessarily takes place on the black market, because in France, scrap dealers are subject to strict regulations.
Since a law of July 29, 2011, cash payments have been prohibited.
Only payments by check or bank transfer are authorized, in order to facilitate the traceability of transactions.
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In addition, people depositing scrap metal must present an identity document, but also, more surprisingly, give the number of their license plate with the vehicle which was used to transport the metals.
As for scrap dealers, the instructions are also strict.
They must write certain information on the merchandise such as the weight or the amount of the sale.
These registers are then transmitted each month to the police station.