A £20,000 haul of copper cables was taken from an industrial site in Thurrock.
The theft happened at Shell’s bitumen plant off the Manorway, near Corringham.
They got into a compound by removing a section of the fence and driving in a white van, believed to be either a Peugeot or Ford Transit, with tinted windows.
Once inside the thieves broke the padlocks on a shipping container before stealing four reels of copper cabling.
Anyone with information about the raid is asked to contact Basildon police on 0300 333 4444.
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