Overview

• The Guardia Civil arrested five men and one woman on July 21 as part of Operation YAQUEDO after uncovering the ring’s hierarchical theft scheme.
• Investigators have recovered over 1,100 kilograms of the nearly 53,000 meters of stolen telephone copper, estimating damages at around €387,000.
• The criminal group carried out 37 incidents—34 in rural Cantabria and three in Asturias—leaving some communities without phone service.
• Two alleged leaders identified targets while accomplices used vans to transport and sell the cable at metal recovery centers.
• Probes have been opened into three recycling company managers in Bizkaia and Cantabria for allegedly receiving stolen copper, and authorities are seeking additional collaborators.