The operation has led to the recovery of over two tons of stolen material, valued at 71,443 euros. The crimes were continuously committed between March and July of this year at facilities belonging to the electricity grid company in the province of Las Palmas.
Agents from the ROCA Team, as part of the National Plan Against Copper Theft, detected the massive sale of this metal by a private individual. Upon analyzing the material, they confirmed it was restricted telecommunications cabling, prompting contact with the affected company. They confirmed thefts at their Satellite Station in the municipality of Agüimes.
The investigation, which included checks at scrap yards and the review of security cameras, revealed an organized group. The main perpetrator, accompanied by collaborators, used rental vans to transport large volumes of cargo. Despite initial inquiries, the group re-entered the premises to steal more material.
An operation was coordinated with the Main Post of Agüimes, resulting in the interception of a van and the arrest of one member, along with the seizure of a fraudulent stamp. The network used this fake stamp to issue false origin certificates and deceive the scales at recovery companies.
The investigation also revealed that staff at one of the recovery companies continued to purchase the stolen material knowingly, deliberately ignoring the illicit origin of goods whose trade is prohibited for individuals. They may have incurred a presumed offense of receiving stolen goods.
