A man was arrested after his frequent late-night "overtime" shifts at a car manufacturing plant in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, were revealed to be a cover for stealing copper components.

The suspect, surnamed Ma, worked as a maintenance technician at the plant since 2018. His scheme began when he noticed a batch of leftover copper electrode caps in the welding workshop. Seeing value in the seemingly insignificant items, Ma decided to steal them.

He started by swiping into the factory after hours under the guise of working overtime. He would then enter the workshop, stuff the copper caps into his pockets, and sneak them out to his car parked outside. After several successful attempts without detection, his confidence grew.

Ma repeated this process over ten times, amassing around 50 kilograms of copper before selling it. His thefts became more frequent until late April this year, when plant staff noticed a significant reduction in copper electrode caps and installed temporary surveillance cameras in the workshop.

On May 10 at around 3 a.m., security footage captured an employee quickly entering and leaving the workshop. Staff identified the person as Ma. A review of his clock-in records and gate surveillance showed his jacket pockets were flat when he entered but bulging when he exited.

The company owner promptly reported the incident to the police. Officers investigated and arrested Ma at his rented residence on the morning of May 14.

According to Ma's confession, from March 2025 to May 2026, he stole copper components at least ten times per month, totaling over 150 thefts. Ma has been criminally detained, and the case is under further investigation.