Civil Guard Uncovers Electricity Theft Ring Involving Five Girona Supermarkets
Girona, Catalonia – the Civil Guard has revealed a scheme in which five supermarkets in the province of Girona were illegally siphoning electricity, contributing to a surge in electrical fraud across Catalonia and Spain. The investigation, ongoing as late 2023, highlights a growing trend of elegant energy theft impacting businesses and consumers alike.
Electrical fraud in Spain is escalating, driven by factors ranging from illicit marijuana cultivation to deliberate theft by established businesses. In 2023, Endesa detected an average of 44 daily instances of electrical manipulation in Catalonia alone, totaling 16,096 cases and 356 GWh of defrauded energy – enough to power a city the size of Manresa for a year. Nationally, reported cases have risen 33% in early 2024, reaching approximately 200 incidents per day, or 71,000 total. While over 30% of these frauds are linked to illegal marijuana farms, authorities are increasingly finding evidence of theft in diverse commercial establishments.
the civil Guard’s investigation focused on the Girona supermarkets after detecting anomalies in energy consumption patterns. Details of the specific methods used to steal electricity have not been released, but authorities confirm the fraudulent activity was significant enough to warrant criminal charges. this case underscores the increasing professionalization of electrical fraud and the economic impact of these crimes, which ultimately translate to higher costs for legitimate energy consumers.Endesa and other energy providers are deploying artificial intelligence and advanced technologies to detect and combat these increasingly complex schemes.