The Figueres Urban Guard (Alt Empordà) has arrested two men in recent days who are attributed with the theft of about 3,400 meters of copper in different incidents in the eastern area of the city. The copper theft has affected public lighting and will entail a significant expense for the City Council and inconvenience for the residents of the area until public lighting can be fully restored.
In total, 3,400 meters of cable have been stolen from streetlights and manholes valued at about 48,421.26 euros, and the impacts are mainly on public lighting. Municipal sources estimate a period of three weeks for road lighting to be restored at the points where the thefts occurred.
The Urban Guard’s surveillance bore fruit. In recent days, the same 23-year-old young man, of Moroccan nationality, with five previous convictions, has been arrested twice as the alleged perpetrator of theft and damage. The first time he was arrested after being caught with a sack containing electrical wiring and a knife, and the second time he was arrested after tampering with a public lighting manhole on Camí Vell de Vilatenim.
On the other hand, last Sunday a 33-year-old man, also of Moroccan nationality, who had 24 previous convictions, was arrested as the alleged perpetrator of a burglary. The officers located him after he fled from the municipal warehouse “Can Sagrera” with a spool of 40 meters of cable.
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The points where copper has been stolen from streetlights and manholes are in nine areas of the eastern city, near Marca de l’Ham, on Gorgs, Polígono Clos de Ferias, Vía Láctea, Cangrejo, Alemania, Francia, Paseo del Camino de Vilatenim, Caputxins, and Llançà-Port road streets. Inspections by municipal services have confirmed the theft of electrical conductors from public lighting by opening underground registers and conduits, which have caused power outages in several lighting circuits, deterioration of wiring, and auxiliary installation elements.
The Figueres City Council and the multi-municipal service company FISERSA have started work to restore the service as soon as possible. But for this, the damaged conductor remains must first be removed, new wiring supplied and installed, connection elements replaced, and electrical panels reviewed, among other tasks.
