Cable thieves strike: Millions in value stolen from solar park!

Cable thieves strike: Millions in value stolen from solar park!

In the last few days, several notable incidents have occurred in Brandenburg, which not only keep the police on their toes, but also worry the population. The focus is particularly on the cable theft in Werneuchen, which was committed on the night of October 6th.

Unknown third parties forcibly gained access to a solar park and stole several kilometers of cable material. The damage is estimated to be in the lower five-figure range. Forensic science specialists were on site to secure evidence. The investigation is ongoing and the police are asking for information from the public. This is not the first incident of this kind, as cable thefts from solar farms are increasing in the region, raising the question of how such acts can be prevented in the future. Barnim Aktuell reports that the increasing interest in photovoltaic systems is attracting criminal energy.

Burglary and theft in Wriezen

But thieves didn't just cause unrest in Werneuchen. Three incidents occurred in Wriezen on the night of October 6th. On Poststrasse, a Mercedes Sprinter truck was relieved of around 80 liters of diesel. The perpetrators had broken open the side door, but left other items untouched. Something similar happened on Große Kirchstrasse, where they broke open the side door of a VW Crafter and stole various Milwaukee tools. The criminals were also after fuel on Bliesdorfer Weg, because the contents of the tank of a DAF truck are now missing there: around 70 liters of diesel. In total, the material damage amounts to around 7,000 euros.

The police are also on the ball here and are investigating all three cases. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious people or vehicles. The question always arises as to how much freedom one can give the perpetrators before they become cocky.

More and more cable thefts

The incidents in Brandenburg are not isolated. Recently there have been repeated reports of cable thefts throughout Germany, particularly from solar parks. For example, a case in the Donnersberg district involving several thousand meters of copper cable on June 1, 2025 caused a stir. Unknown people had opened an access gate and drove a vehicle onto the site to carry out their theft. The estimated damage was in the high five-figure range. Press portal reports that several perpetrators were also at work here and information was requested from the police.

The massiveness of this problem was also made clear by the example of a solar park in Ahorn-Berolzheim, where 50 kilometers of cable were stolen, which, with a material value of around 100,000 euros, led to an even higher amount of damage in the cost of restoration alone. pv magazine names the region where these incidents are increasing and reports an alarming trend that these illegal activities are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

The ongoing wave of thefts from solar parks will lead to considerable concern about the security of such systems. The police are still looking for effective strategies to stop these criminal activities. Given the importance of renewable energies for our future, we need to work on a solution that focuses on both the technical and human aspects.