Six people have been arrested as suspected members of a criminal group that stole electricity transformers and equipment from wind farms and installations of power distribution agency DEDDIE in Evia and Attica, police said Saturday.
The members of the ring, aged 18, 19, 29, 38 and 43, were arrested in an operation carried out on June 1 and 2, police said. Authorities believe the 38-year-old is the leader of the group responsible for coordinating its members.
The suspects are facing charges of participating in a criminal organization, aggravated theft, damage to another person’s property, drug violations and disobedience. Authorities have also identified four other persons of interest who remain at large.
According to the police, shortly before their arrest, three of the accused had entered a wind farm facility in Evia with the aim of removing electrical equipment. Gloves were found in the vehicle they were using, while freshly removed electrical cables were found near the scene.
The investigation revealed that the group had been operating since at least January this year. The perpetrators would remove transformers and wiring from wind farms which they transported by trucks to a processing and shredding facility in Aspropyrgos.
