A scrap yard in New Addington has been searched as part of a Europe-wide operation against metal thieves.
British Transport Police (BTP) visited the scrap metal yard yesterday along with others across London and Surrey while officers in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands raided homes and businesses.
Two men, aged 24 and 25, from Ferndown, Dorset, were arrested on suspicion of cable theft.
In January, BTP officers from Croydon arrested a 27-year-old man for cable theft.
BTP Chief Constable Ian Johnston said cable theft was soaring on the back of rising world metal prices.
"Because of ever rising commodity prices, metal theft is now a major economic crime across Europe, not least in the rail industry.
"For BTP, combating cable theft across Britain's rail system remains one of our biggest challenges and this concerted action across Europe is just one element in a continuing police effort to thwart the thieves."
Rail cable theft causes hours of delays to millions of passengers and puts lives at risk.
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