Men arrested for stealing electricity in Pinoso

NINTEEN men were arrested in Pinoso – a town inland from Alicante – for allegedly manipulating electricity meters.

The fraud amounted to €66,300, according to official sources. Two of the accused were apparently the perpetrators of the activity and would offer owners of property a 50 per cent saving on their electricity bill.

They would charge between €1,000 and €1,200 for this service, which required extensive knowledge of electricity and electronics to remove the meter’s original seal and replace it with another similar to that of the approved company.

The electricity supply company made a complaint in March to the Guardia Civil who launched an investigation. They discovered that meters in 17 properties had been manipulated; the owners have been arrested for stealing electricity.

The investigation is still open and officers have not ruled out further arrests.