THE POLICE have detained and charged 12 people who were caught stealing diesel fuel from boats docked in the Port of Bratislava on the Danube.
The group, which involved one police officer, one guard, an executive director of a private security service and a toll officer, was stealing red diesel fuel in a quantity worth €24,000, Police Corps President Tibor Gašpar said on November 12, as reported by the TASR newswire. The group had been active for about one year.
The police operation that led to the gang’s arrest occurred on November 7 under the name Dallas, and involved 150 officers from various departments and eight toll officers, according to TASR. The police found 55 canisters of red diesel fuel, several cars, and €120,000 and $8,000 in cash.
“Staff members of at least three ships were providing information about the right time to transfer the fuel,” Gašpar said, as quoted by TASR, adding that another group provided cars for hauling the fuel away.
Eight of the 12 detained people have been taken into custody. If proven guilty, they face three to 10 years in prison.
The number of those detained in the case could increase, as the police are currently looking into other people who might have been involved in buying the stolen fuel.
Meanwhile, the Port of Bratislava has announced a procurement process for a new security service to guard the premises, the SITA newswire reported.
Source: TASR, SITA
Compiled by Michaela Terenzani from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
