In Guissona, Lleida, two men were arrested on Sunday morning after a series of copper thefts at an electric vehicle charging station under construction. The arrests followed a week of surveillance by Guissona municipal police, bonÀrea security staff and the Mossos d'Esquadra.
Police said the suspects were linked to earlier thefts at the same bonÀrea service area on Friday, 15 May, and the previous Monday. The Mossos d'Esquadra said they were alerted by a Guissona municipal police officer who identified a vehicle linked to the earlier incidents.
Officers stopped the vehicle on the A-2 motorway and arrested two men, aged 23 and 41. They were taken to Cervera police station. The investigation remains open, and authorities have not said whether other members of the group have been identified.
According to sources, three men had repeatedly entered the construction site, where electrical cabling for the new EV chargers was exposed. After the first theft, the bonÀrea security guard alerted municipal police, which led to the surveillance operation. The Guardia Civil later contacted local authorities for information about the incidents.
Sources also said the group had previously operated in Murcia and Valencia, and that the Guardia Civil had already identified five members. Police believed the suspects had moved to the Segarra area to continue their activity. Surveillance around the bonÀrea facilities was then increased, with Mossos officers and municipal police carrying out patrols over several nights while private security reviewed CCTV footage. The suspects were said to have used an Audi car and a rental van.
Copper thefts remain a concern because of the metal's high value and its use in electrical systems. The article also notes that thefts have caused delays on the Rodalies network, with the latest incident on 13 May in Molins de Rei. In Lleida, the Mossos are also investigating two thefts last week at farms in Artesa de Lleida, where heating installations, cables, iron, solar panels, batteries and water pressure pumps were taken.
The Unió de Pagesos warned last week about rising thefts across farms in the Segrià region. The Guissona case remains under investigation as police work to identify any remaining suspects.
