STOLEN COPPER IS MAJOR S.A. EXPORT !

High prices have led to made it more profitable to steal copper. The South African city of Cape Town has launched a major crackdown on people who steal copper electricity wires.
The copper is sold to scrapyards, which then export it to China.
Last year, $10m-worth of copper was sold - the city's second biggest export to China after fruit - even though the region has no natural copper reserves.
The wave of thefts has led to power cuts in some areas and the cancellation of trains which use overhead copper cables, business leaders say.
So far, 33 people have been arrested red-handed.
Officials say scrapyard owners will now be targeted.
Cape Town Chamber of Commerce head Albert Schuitmaker says that some 200 trains were cancelled in March this year because of the theft of copper cables.
He also points out that the figure of $10m only covers official exports - far more may have been sold on the black market.
Cape Town councillor Peter van Dalen says the city has lost 22m rand ($3m) due to the theft of copper wires in the past year.
This week, three security guards were arrested for allegedly stealing copper they were supposed to be protecting.

BBC NEWS REPORT.