The Mossos d'Esquadra arrested two men, aged 23 and 41, early Sunday morning, accused of stealing copper from a construction site for electric vehicle chargers at a bonÀrea service station in Guissona. The arrests came after several robberies at the same location and a week of joint surveillance with the Municipal Guard and security personnel.
The case highlights two opposing movements. While infrastructure for electric mobility advances, thieves are targeting the very wiring that will power it, at a time when copper is trading at around 10 euros per kilo, fueling this type of theft.
Surveillance in Guissona led to two arrests on the A-2
The operation was launched following robberies committed on Friday the 15th and the previous Monday at the gas station construction site. For a week, the Municipal Guard, security guards, and Mossos d'Esquadra monitored the area to detect any further activity at the facility.
Finally, a municipal guard identified a vehicle linked to the incidents. Shortly after, officers intercepted the car on the A-2 and took the two detainees to the Cervera police station.
Investigators link the perpetrators to the use of an Audi and a rental van to access the construction site and steal the electrical wiring. The investigation remains open, and it is not yet known if more individuals have been identified in the group.
The Guardia Civil linked the gang to other robberies in Murcia and Valencia
The investigation expanded when the Guardia Civil contacted local authorities and indicated that the same gang had previously operated in Murcia and Valencia. This group had five identified members who allegedly traveled to the Segarra region.
The increase in the metal's value explains some of the pressure on these types of installations. Copper has reached historic highs of around 10 euros per kilo, and this market trend has coincided with incidents that go beyond private construction, such as the wave of copper thefts that has also impacted the railway network.
One of the recent cases was the delay on Rodalies recorded on the 13th in Molins de Rei. That incident occurred amidst an increase in thefts of wiring and other metallic materials in various parts of Catalonia.
Robberies also affect farms in Segrià and agricultural holdings
The pressure is not limited to Segarra. In the province of Lleida, the Mossos d'Esquadra are also investigating two robberies committed last week on farms in Artesa de Lleida.
Heating installations, cables, iron, solar panels, batteries, and water pressure pumps disappeared from these farms. The scope of the loot shows that the interest is not focused only on copper and connects with robberies on agricultural holdings in the Lleida plain.
Furthermore, Unió de Pagesos has warned of an increase in robberies on several agricultural holdings in Segrià. The two detainees in the Guissona case are 23 and 41 years old and were transferred to the Cervera police station after being intercepted on the A-2.