POLICE say they have uncovered a multimillion-dollar operation in Spanish Town where criminals have been storing batteries stolen from cell sites owned by one of the country’s major telecommunications companies.

According to the police, at approximately 1:00 pm a team went to the location at Ellerslie Pen and, during a more than six-hour search, were able to confiscate a large number of batteries worth millions of dollars.

“No one was arrested in the raid but we have received the name of one man who we believe is the mastermind behind the operation,” said a member of the police team that flooded the area.

“Based on information that we received, this is one of the locations where criminals are storing the batteries to be sold in the scrap metal trade,” one officer said.

Police yesterday said the Ellerslie Pen site was the fourth location where they have found stolen batteries and other items removed from cell sites across the island.

In the past week, police have carried out similar operations in Westmoreland and St Ann, where a large number of batteries and cables were confiscated.

Sources close to the telecommunications industry said that over the last two years criminals have stolen more than $100m worth of cables, batteries, fuel and other equipment from cell sites of the two major telecoms providers.