TORONTO - A Toronto Transit Commission union president is accused of stealing copper wiring from work and selling it to a scrap metal yard.

Miguel “Mike” Santos, a 39-year-old TTC electrician, was arrested Wednesday when York Regional Police, assisting Toronto Transit Commission special constables, carried out a search warrant at his Vaughan home.

The warrant came nearly a month after York cops were asked by the TTC officers to help them out regarding wire that had been stolen and “might be at a recycling centre,” said York Regional Police Sgt. Gary Phillips.

The TTC was tipped off about the wire after someone saw it at a scrap yard and noticed markings that showed it was TTC property, TTC spokesman Brad Ross said.

Officers from York’s 2 District property crime unit carried out a search warrant May 12 at the Vaughan yard where they found bins containing six spools of wire with TTC markings, Phillips said.

The owners of the yard - Vincenzo Stagliano, 60, and Claudio Iacobelli, 45, both of Vaughan - were charged with possession of stolen property, Phillips said.

They were released on promises to appear in court next Wednesday.

Video surveillance from the scrap yard led police to Santos, Phillips said.

“They’ve done a lot of extensive police work on this guy,” Phillips said.

“The search warrant was executed ... and he was arrested without incident.” The CUPE Local 2 president, whose 500 members maintain subway signals and electrical and communication systems, was charged with theft over $5,000 and possession of stolen property. He was released on a promise to appear in court July 14.

Copper theft is a worldwide problem driven by high metal prices.

The incident has prompted the TTC to review its inventory procedures for employees who have access to material such as copper, Ross said.

“Electricians, for example, have access to the wire and they would sign out however many feet or spools that they need,” Ross said. “Then we go back and we do inventory checks and would bill back the department for the materials that they’ve used.” Ross wouldn’t comment on whether Santos was suspended from work pending the outcome of his court case. Union officials, including Santos, did not return requests for comment.

“These are serious allegations,” Ross said. “All of the material that the TTC purchases to use, as a public agency, we have a responsibility to ensure that this material that ultimately belongs to the public is safeguarded.”