Thessaloniki: Three accused of electricity theft worth €9.1 million
Three men alleged to have led a gang that committed electricity theft from businesses across the country are appearing in court today. The investigation uncovered specialised software in digital meters.
Thessaloniki: Three accused of electricity theft worth €9.1 million
Three men accused as key members of a gang alleged to have committed electricity theft from businesses across the country are appearing before the courts today.
The gang operated from 2017 through 2026. Authorities contend that its members had developed a specialised programme which they installed in digital meters. This enabled them to manipulate consumption data, displaying higher output than actual.
The investigation began in September by police officers from the Organised Crime Prosecution Unit of Northern Greece. The findings show that the perpetrators had breached 103 digital devices. Additionally, in two cases they had installed the same software in photovoltaic park systems, with the result that they appeared as sellers of larger quantities of electricity to the network.
The cost to the Greek Electricity Distribution Network Operator (ΔΕΔΔΗΕ) amounts to €9.1 million. The organisation had attempted to limit the phenomenon by replacing old analogue meters with digital devices, believing that electronic control would be sufficient. The accused, however, managed to circumvent this protection.
The three face charges of theft in simple and aggravated form, as well as dereliction of duty.
Source: ERT News
Source: ERT