SBA police urge vigilance amid rise in thefts

The Sovereign Base Area Police are warning farm, home and business owners to be vigilant in securing their properties, following a recent surge in acquisitive crime, mostly theft.

A press release says that Police officials confirmed that 42 cases were reported between April and August this year, with copper being one of the main targets for criminals.

Dhekelia CID Inspector, Fanos Christodoulou, revealed copper was now valued at approximately €6,500 per tonne, so it has become an accessible and obvious target to be sold on to scrap metal yards.

The press release says that one of the most vulnerable groups are farm owners, who keep large amounts of tools and machinery in agricultural areas, where thieves can move in the dark, undetected.

“Farmland appears to be an easy target for thieves as they can move at night and the majority of the time, people don’t tend to lock up their equipment in these areas,” Inspector Fanis Christodoulou of the CID said.

The SBA Police undertake regular patrols but due to the vast amount of rural land within the Dhekelia area, Inspector Christodoulou revealed the relationship between the force and the local community remains key.

He appealed to the public to report any suspicious activity.