The recent global boom in the market price for scrap steel and aluminum leads to a sudden rise in the theft of everyday

In the sentence, the phrase 'recent global boom' explains something that began in the past and is continuing into the present. Hence, the present perfect tense "has led" is much more acceptable than the simple present tense "leads." Also, "such as" is preferred to "like" when introducing examples.

Option A - Incorrect
This o[option uses the wrong verb tense "leads" to modify an action that is meant to be a continuous process.

Option B - Incorrect
There is no subject-verb agreement. The singular subject "the recent boom" can't take the plural form of the verb "have led."

Option C - Incorrect
It changes the intended meaning of the sentence when it said "the number of thieves" instead of "thefts."

Option D - correct
This answer choice correctly uses the present perfect tense "has led" to indicate that the boom began in the past and is continuing into the present, and also to properly indicate that the boom started before the rise in theft. In addition, "such as" is preferred to "like" when introducing examples.

Option E - Incorrect
The use of the present progressive tense "is leading" is not entirely acceptable. Although it shows continuity, it doesn't indicate the time the theft occurred.