Copper thieves cripple Attica power board
Two suspected members of a robbery ring believed to have caused hundreds of thousands of euros’ worth of damage to Attica’s power network by stealing huge quantities of copper electrical cable and selling it for profit were being questioned by police over the weekend. The two Greek men, aged 33 and 34, were arrested in the southern Athens district of Kallithea on Saturday. Along with several suspected accomplices being sought by police, they are believed to be behind 45 thefts on substations of the Public Power Corporation in Kallithea, Nea Smyrni, Neos Cosmos, Moschato, Ilioupoli and Glyfada. They are alleged to have removed copper cable from the substations and sold it to scrap-yards for 3 euros per kilo. Apart from the damage to its network, PPC is said to have received demands for compensation from residents in the targeted areas, claiming their electrical appliances have been ruined.