Man, 37, arrested for starting plastics factory fire in Menidi

A 37-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the fire that broke out in the early hours of Monday at a plastics factory in Menidi, the Hellenic Police announced on Tuesday.

According to the announcement, the 37-year-old arrived at the site on a bicycle and, after removing cables from the business, set them on fire in a nearby outdoor area in an attempt to extract copper. However, due to the strong winds at the time, the fire spread to the factory premises, resulting in the complete destruction of the facility.

The fire then spread to two adjacent businesses, which also suffered extensive damage. Preliminary estimates suggest that the damage to buildings and equipment totals around 8.0 million euros, and according to the police, eight fully equipped ambulances stored in one of the nearby businesses were destroyed.

The suspect was arrested by officers from the Acharnes Crime Investigation Department (TDEE), who tracked down the suspect by analysing footage from local video cameras and witness reports.

ELAS reported that the 37-year-old has a past criminal record for thefts.