Daraine Luton and Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writers

EIGHT MONTHS after first suspending scrap-metal exports due to theft, criminals have forced Minister of Industry, Commerce and Investment Karl Samuda to again put a hold on the sector.

Samuda told the House of Representatives yesterday that shipments of scrap metal would not resume until he was satisfied that metals being exported are not stolen.

"As a consequence of illegal activities that now pose a major threat to the economic development of our country, and the disruption of our essential services, I have today signed a ministerial order prohibiting the export of scrap metal until further notice," the minister said.

Water main in Clarendon

Samuda's move to shut down the sector comes days after thieves struck in Clarendon, removing sections of a water main in order to get metal to feed the lucrative industry. The minister said the National Water Commission had lost $3.4 million over the last four months to theft.

Samuda told Parliament that communications giant Cable and Wireless has lost more than $2 million in copper cables stolen to supply the trade. He said one trader recently had his licence revoked for being in possession of the cable, which he bought for $32,000. Images Design and Recycling in Linstead lost its licences and operator Wilber Castro Rosales was charged with receiving stolen property.

"It is no longer the common thief. It is a planned operation requiring heavy equipment," Samuda said in reference to the new face that scrap-metal theft has taken on.

Guarantee

Meanwhile, in response to questions from Opposition MPs Peter Bunting and Phillip Paulwell, Samuda said the industry, which has netted more than $200 million so far this year, would be opened up as soon as he can guarantee metal being exported was not stolen. He said Government would carefully select traders for licensing and that the trade would resume on a phased basis.

Samuda said shipments would not resume until all sites have been carefully checked and certified free of stolen metal. He said central sites would be established for the packing of containers where inspection can be done.

The minister had first suspended the scrap metal trade in October. The industry was opened up after regulations were put in place to deal with the problem but Samuda now insists that amendments are necessary to protect other industries from theft.