A spate of burglaries has occurred in homes and businesses in areas affected by the fire in Attica over the past few days.

According to a report by STAR, a business owner saw a burglar stealing items from his yard through a security camera and immediately called the police. The man was identified, and charges were filed against him. “They cut the wires, from top to bottom, and opened it up. They came in to steal iron, copper, and many other things. They come to loot instead of help,” a resident said.

This is not an isolated incident, according to the report. The same news outlet reported the testimony of a second affected person, who stated: “On the first day of the fire, just as we were grabbing a few things to leave, I saw two people climbing up to the balcony.”

So far, the police have arrested a 46-year-old Roma man on Mylopotamou Street in Penteli, who was stealing whatever he could from a burnt house, and 17 detentions have been made.

Witnesses Report Roma Groups

According to the same information, similar incidents have been reported in all fire-stricken areas, specifically groups of Roma being seen around burnt houses attempting to loot.

Additional information provided by STAR mentions four Roma individuals who arrived by taxi in the northern suburbs and were spotted around the houses. Police found them and immediately detained them. When asked why they took a taxi to the fire site, they responded: “We came to help, not to steal, officer.”

Moreover, four other Roma were found in the area under the pretense of selling fruit, while another four were seen driving around in a small truck. Officers from the Northeastern Attica Security Department saw them and detained them to verify their identities.

More than 200 police officers from various units, including security, OPKE (special police forces), Immediate Response, and local departments, are patrolling around the burnt homes. So far, 17 people have been detained, almost all of them Roma.