Copper thief caught red-handed in Brussels

A copper thief was caught in the act on Friday night by a witness at Brussels Midi. The suspected thief is a Bulgarian national, aged around 50, who is staying illegally in the country, the Brussels public prosecutor said on Saturday. The man was seen on Friday evening at around 23.00 on land next to the station. He was made available to the judge. In Belgium last year, thefts of copper cables were responsible for a total of 34,000 minutes of delays. Railway network owner Infrabel is considering hallmarking its copper cables, either physically or chemically.