FEATURE - Lax Control over Metal Scrap Trade, High Metal Prices Power up Cable Thefts in Bulgaria

SOFIA (Bulgaria), October 1 (SeeNews) - High prices of non-ferrous metals on the global markets and lax control over the operation of the local scrap metal collection sites have made stealing metal cables a lucrative business in the EU's poorest member Bulgaria over the past years, and a major headache for the power distribution companies in the country. The three majority owners of Bulgaria's power distribution companies - Czech CEZ, Austrian EVN and German E.ON, suffered theft losses estimated at several hundred thousand to several million levs in the last two years.