Three men have been arrested in connection with an investigation into the thefts of cables from sites across Suffolk.
About £1million worth of cable has been stolen in 25 thefts in the county, as well as in north and west Essex and Cambridgeshire.
The investigation is being led by specialist officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit at Essex Police, which has confirmed the thefts in Suffolk were at locations in the east, west and south of the county.
Police executed a warrant at an address in Stondon Massey, near Brentwood, on Tuesday morning and arrested three men, aged 20, 22 and 41, on suspicion of conspiracy to steal.
They remain in custody for questioning.
Detective Inspector Frazer Low, of Essex Police, said: "The investigation has been detailed and has required the team of specialist officers to follow a number of lines of enquiry.
"This morning’s work is culmination of a lot of hard work. Cable thefts greatly impact communities with services such as phones and broadband being cut off until repairs can be made, and the perpetrators of such crimes have no regard for the harm these activities cause to the public and to businesses."
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