太陽光ケーブル盗、９０００件超　悪質買い取り業者の法規制検討―警察庁

　金属価格の高騰を受けて太陽光発電施設から金属ケーブルが盗まれる事件が急増し、昨年１月～今年６月に９５２２件の被害が確認されたことが１日、警察庁のまとめで分かった。同庁が初めて調査した。金属くずの買い取り業者には本人確認義務などがないのが現状で、同庁は法規制の在り方についても検討を進める。
　警察庁によると、同施設の金属ケーブル窃盗の被害件数は、昨年は５３６１件だったが、今年は上半期（１～６月）で４１６１件に上った。９割は関東で発生しており、茨城県が最多の２８０２件で、栃木県が１７７４件、千葉県が１６９１件と続いた。
　警察は６月末までに、窃盗容疑で１２１人を検挙。国籍別では、カンボジア人が６４人、日本人が４５人などだった。（2024/08/01-10:11）

There were 9,522 cases of metal cables being stolen from solar power plants in Japan between January last year and June this year, a National Police Agency survey showed Thursday.
   The survey was the first to be conducted by the NPA on the situation, at a time when metal prices are rising.
   The NPA is considering regulations to tackle the situation, as scrap metal buyers are not currently obliged to check the identity of sellers.
   According to the survey, the number of metal cable thefts from solar power plants came to 5,361 in the whole of 2023 and 4,161 in the first half of 2024. About 90 pct of the cases occurred in the Kanto eastern region, including Ibaraki Prefecture with 2,802 cases, Tochigi Prefectures with 1,774 cases and Chiba Prefecture with 1,691 cases.
   In such cases, police had identified 121 suspects as of the end of June, including 64 Cambodians and 45 Japanese. Cambodians and others are believed to be repeatedly conspiring to commit the crime.