A 49-year-old Roma man was detained in Serres in connection with cable thefts worth €125,000.

Police in Serres detained 49-year-old Roma in the case of a series of thefts industrial cable products total cost over €125 thousand

The investigation also includes a 21-year-old alleged accomplice, who has already been identified, and police continue to search for other possible members of the group. During the search, a car, a trailer with approximately 800 kilograms of cables, two hunting rifles, walkie-talkies and metal cutting tools were seized. This was reported by ELASthe data also confirm ProtoThema.

According to investigators, the detainee and his alleged accomplice acted together with as yet unidentified persons. They used the 49-year-old’s car and trailer to remove large amounts of cable. We are not talking about petty theft of non-ferrous metal, but about prepared trips with transport, tools and communications equipment.

Two thefts in a few weeks

The first episode that the police associates with the group occurred on the night of July 2 in the Nea Zikhni municipality area. Cable products worth about €35 thousand were stolen from an agricultural warehouse.

The investigation also established the possible involvement of the same persons in another major theft committed on May 25 in the municipality of Emmanuel Pappas. Then industrial cables worth more than €90 thousand were stolen from the territory of the enterprise. The total damage in two episodes exceeds €125 thousand, writes Zougla.

800 kilograms of cable found in the house

A search of the premises, which police say the suspects used, revealed a vehicle with a trailer already loaded with approximately 800 kilograms of cable products. The cables were identified and returned to their rightful owner.

In addition, two hunting rifles, four portable radios, pliers, a metal cutter and two electric cutting tools were seized. The presence of radio communications and equipment for quickly cutting cables may indicate that the team was preparing in advance for the removal of heavy cargo and trying to reduce time at the crime scene.

Why cable theft is more dangerous than it seems

Cable theft is often thought of as a scrap metal story, but the consequences can be much more serious. Damage to industrial and energy lines can stop the operation of a warehouse, factory, pumping station, farm or production site. Owners lose not only the value of the stolen metal, but also money due to equipment shutdowns, repairs, delivery delays and contract failures.

Agricultural areas are particularly sensitive to such crimes: cables can provide lighting, product cooling, pumps, storage systems and other infrastructure. One cut section is sometimes more expensive than the stolen metal itself. Humanity has managed to make sure that a few hundred kilograms of copper can shut down an economy faster than a bad harvest.

Investigation continues

The 49-year-old detainee must appear before the prosecutor of first instance Serres. A case has been formed against him on charges of qualified theft. The 21-year-old alleged accomplice has not yet been detained, although his identity has been established, according to police.

Investigators are continuing to identify other possible participants and are checking to see if the group is connected to other cable and metal thefts in the region. While we are talking about the materials of the preliminary investigation, the guilt of the detainee and other defendants must be established by the court.

Sources: ELAS, ProtoThema, Zougla. The information relates to the preliminary investigation stage.

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