Waikato Police have arrested three people following an investigation into a series of commercial burglaries in Frankton that targeted large quantities of copper.
Sergeant Michael Palmer of the Waikato Tactical Crime Unit said the enquiry began in August 2025 after a commercial site suffered multiple break-ins over a week, during which reels of copper were stolen.
Investigators later identified that more than 200 kilograms of the metal had allegedly been on-sold in Auckland. Search warrants executed in rural Gordonton and Cambridge led to the arrest of two women, aged 37 and 50, and a 44-year-old man, all of whom are facing burglary charges and are due to reappear in Hamilton District Court on 17 December.
Palmer said the case underscored the need for strong, layered security systems including CCTV, alarms and perimeter protection on commercial premises. Police are urging the public to report any suspicious activity around commercial or private properties on 111 if it is happening now, or 105 after the fact, with anonymous information also welcome via Crime Stoppers.
Image credit: Ra Dragon
