Overview
- Police officers in Zwintschöna, Kabelsketal, stopped a small van for a traffic check and the vehicle fled at high speed before leaving the road and sliding into a nearby stream.
- The two male occupants, aged 24 and 40, tried to run from the scene but were caught by officers after a short foot chase.
- Officers found ten cable drums with copper cable inside the van and seized the materials along with the crashed vehicle.
- Authorities say the cables are worth about €5,000 and have opened an inquiry including the charge of suspected particularly serious theft, a legal label for aggravated theft under German law.
- Police reported local property damage at the site where the cables were taken and estimated about €2,000 damage to the van, underlining that copper thefts are often linked to resale or illegal scrap activity.