Suche
Mein Konto
Police catch cable thieves in Vohwinkel – a dramatic operation!
Police in Wuppertal Vohwinkel pursue cable thieves: Operation after the alarm was raised, several perpetrators escape, a search is underway.
Police catch cable thieves in Vohwinkel – a dramatic operation!
On Monday evening, November 3rd, 2025, an incident occurred in the Vohwinkel district of Cologne that alarmed not only the police, but also the residents. Loud Radio Wuppertal The officers were alerted at around 8:20 p.m. after an attentive gatekeeper observed a group of around ten people loading cables from a storage area into a van.
The police's quick response meant that the vehicle could be seized in the immediate vicinity of the crime scene. While some members of the group escaped, two suspected perpetrators hid in waste paper containers, making the situation seem even more absurd. In total, at least two large cable drums were stolen, which not only surprised the residents, but also affected traffic flow: the railway line in the area had to be temporarily closed.
Increasing problem of cable theft
The incident in Vohwinkel highlights a big topic that always makes the headlines: the theft of charging cables, especially at fast charging stations for electric vehicles. The operators of such stations report an alarming increase in cases compared to previous years. In 2025, over 900 cable thefts were registered at more than 130 EnBW charging locations, while EWE Go speaks of a double-digit number of incidents. The damage caused by a single cable theft can amount to up to 5,000 euros, which further exacerbates the problem, as entire charging stations often have to be taken out of operation, resulting in lost sales.
How daily news According to reports, the cable thieves can expect a yield of 4 to 10 kg of copper per cable in the best case scenario. The scrap trade price for such a cable is around 50 euros. What is frightening is that many of these thefts could be the result of targeted acts of vandalism or subcultural motives.
Measures against thefts
Companies are faced with the challenge of putting a stop to criminal activity. The introduction of increased lighting, CCTV and more robust cables are just some of the measures being discussed. The use of AI-supported procedures to detect suspicious activities is also being considered as a solution. One political demand even goes so far as to consider classifying charging cables as part of the public energy infrastructure in order to obtain legal protection measures.
Cologne's Vohwinkel shows once again that the theft problem is not just a local, but also a nationwide phenomenon that presents security forces with new challenges. Monday's incident could therefore open another chapter in the history of cable theft, while at the same time the search for sustainable solutions to the fight against crime must be pushed forward.