Gang left Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, in the dark

A GANG which left 30 per cent of streets in Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, in the dark after stealing copper wire, has been disbanded. The operation, in which 19 people were arrested, was carried out by the National Police and Guardia Civil.

At one point, more than 80,000 residents of Jerez were affected by the theft of the cable from the public lighting system. The owner of a scrapyard has also been charged with receiving stolen goods. 

The suspects were tracked through selling the wire and once they were identified and their homes located, they were put under surveillance to determine the role each one had in the organisation.

The detainees have extensive criminal records and allegedly threatened, intimidated and blackmailed staff at the scrap yards where they sold the stolen goods if they did not agree with what they were offered.