Two men have been arrested and charged with the theft of more than $15,000 worth of copper wire from the Chiltern train station after police raids on Tuesday morning.
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Chiltern police Leading Senior Constable Andrew Deegan said police charged the men after raiding addresses at Park Street, Chiltern and Parkins Road, Rutherglen.
"A 36-year-old Chiltern man was charged with three counts of theft and dealing with proceeds of crime and bailed," he said.
"A 33-year-old Rutherglen man was also charged with three counts of theft, drug possession and possessing cartridge ammunition."
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Police from Chiltern, Rutherglen and Wodonga police stations carried out the coordinated raids simultaneously just after 9am.
The thefts relate to 400 metres of copper wire on three occasions last month where the offender had to "shimmy up a seven metre steel pole".
"The cooper wire is used as a power source for rail signalling," Leading Senior Constable Deegan said.
"There is no disruption to service as they can use the backup generator and the copper wire is replaced every time the wire is stolen from the station.
"The effort to scale that pole at 4.30am on each occasion is an impressive effort and they are lucky they didn't fall at that height."
Leading Senior Constable Deegan said evidence of the copper wire thefts and exhibits were seized from both addresses.
"Each theft was worth around $5000 so more than $15,000 in total over the three thefts," he said.
Both men were bailed to appear at the Wodonga Magistrates Court on April 7.