Head of the Constabulary’s Communications Unit, Senior Superintendent, Stephanie Lindsay says the police have to ensure that stakeholders within the scrap metal industry can be trusted to operate legitimately.

On Thursday (December 15), during a press briefing, Flow Jamaica called for a permanent ban to be imposed on the scrap metal industry, citing a correlation between the industry and the theft and vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure.

Flow explained that when a temporary ban on scrap metal exports was implemented in 2017, there was a decline in thefts and vandalism.  Flow noted, however, that the incidents skyrocketed after the ban was lifted.

In response, SSP Lindsay contended that the problem lies not with the industry, but with some stakeholders who cannot be trusted.

There have been incidents in which authorized scrap metal dealers have been implicated in the theft of telecommunications infrastructure.