A truck driver was arrested in Lancaster County, Nebraska, this week after police discovered that he was hauling approximately 44,000 pounds of copper wire that was reportedly stolen.
Around 2 p.m. on October 7, 2026, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Criminal Interdiction Unit stopped a semi truck for driving on the shoulder of the roadway on I-80 near mile marker 408 near Lincoln.
The truck driver was unable to provide registration or a bill of lading, police said. The driver also told police he did not know what he was hauling, where he had picked up the load, or where the load was headed to, LCSO said.
After the truck driver provided consent to search the vehicle, officers located 11 pallets of copper wire weighing around 44,000 pounds in the trailer, as well as two bolt cutters.
According to LCSO, the driver was driving on the shoulder of the roadway because his load shifted. According to KOLN, there was no seal or lock the trailer doors, and the pallets of copper wiring were not secured in the trailer.
The vehicle search uncovered the bill of lading, which showed that the load was picked up in Chicago and was supposed to be delivered to Lakeside Auto Recycling in Carter Lake, Iowa.
“Investigators found that the load was stolen and not in the possession of the correct carrier,” LCSO said.
The copper wire was valued at $250,000.
The driver of the truck, Raman Pal, 22, was arrested on charges of theft by receiving over $5,000 and possession of burglary tools. LCSO said Pal is believed to be from California.
“This is the first one we’ve ever had like this. It was a very good stop. The company has had four loads stolen for over a million dollars just this year,” said LCSO.
The investigation is ongoing.
