Police apprehend Polish gang stealing railway cables in Czechia

Police in Nový Jičín uncovered a four-member Polish gang stealing railway cables in Czechia. The group are accused of taking seven kilometres of copper electricity cables on the line from Ostrava to Prague since 2019, causing CZK 2.5 million in damage to operators.

The stolen materials, which are used to power electric trains, were sold for scrap in Poland. The four were charged in late June and are still in custody, the police said. A spokesperson for the railways administration said such large-scale theft of overhead lines was rare.