Thieves steal $2m tugboat propellers in Western Australia

Alistair Bates wrote this story.

It is from ABC Pilbara.

The topic is crime.

It happened on Monday, June 29, 2026, at 5:09 pm.

The stolen tugboat propellers are worth $2 million to replace.

Here is a short version:

Thieves took four big tugboat propellers from a yard in Western Australia.

The equipment is very heavy and needed big machines to move.

What happens next?

The police are watching for suspicious sales of scrap metal, which is worth $2 million.

Detectives are looking into the theft of four big tugboat propellers worth $2 million.

This is one of the most daring thefts, with each propeller weighing 2 tonnes and measuring almost 3 metres across.

The propellers belong to tugboats like the one approaching the port at Dampier.

The police think the thieves broke into a yard on the Burrup Peninsula near Dampier between December 18, 2025, and May 29, 2026.

The thieves likely used big machines to move the propellers, which were stored in special frames.

It took the owner five months to notice the propellers were missing.

The propellers are made of a special alloy with a lot of copper and could cost $2 million to replace.

Copper theft is getting worse.

Copper is valuable and can be recycled, so it is often stolen.

The metal is used in electricity and artificial intelligence, which is why thieves are getting bolder.

The police think the thieves will sell the propellers as scrap and are asking people to report any suspicious sales.

The Burrup Peninsula has many industrial projects, including a big gas production facility.

The police talked to a metal recycler in Karratha as part of their investigation.

He said there is a big black market for copper scrap in the state and the stolen goods might be sold far from town.

The recycler said the bronze is worth about $8 to $9 per kilo and the nickel is worth about $15 per kilo.

Thieves are stealing copper from streetlights in Perth, leaving commuters to drive in the dark.

The recycler thinks the thieves might get about $72,000 from the stolen propellers but will have a hard time selling them.

The gas company Woodside said the theft did not involve any of its equipment.

This story was updated on Monday, June 29, 2026, at 5:09 pm.

It was updated again at 6:10 pm.

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