Massive police raids on fuel thieves, some 222 questioned

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Tens of tons of diesel fuel found, along with large sums of money and a few guns, during yesterday’s house searches in Bucharest and seven counties.

Over 1,000 police conducted 233 house searches in Bucharest and seven counties across Romania yesterday aimed at finding evidence over 240 suspects of fuel thefts from refineries and airports. Among those investigated are five Dambovita County police officers. The searches were made at homes in Bucharest, as well as the counties of Dambovita, Prahova, Ilfov, Buzau, Constanta, Giurgiu and Ialomita, also including the offices of six trading enterprises, according to the Romanian Police press communique. The case is built by the Law Enforcement Service of the Dambovita County Police Inspectorate (IJP) and envisages the finding of evidence against several suspects of thefts of petrol products from refineries and international airports “Henri Coanda” and “Aurel Vlaicu” Bucharest, which incurred estimated losses of RON 1,119,000 de lei. More than 1,000 police from the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police, Bucharest Police and general police inspectorates from the counties of Arges, Ialomita, Giurgiu, Ilfov, Constanta, Buzau and Dambovita, and 600 special purpose vehicles were involved in the MAI helicopter-monitored action. Special Operations Directorate forces, the Internal Intelligence and Protection Department of the Ministry of Interior (MAI) and the Romanian Intelligence Service also participate in the operation.Romanian Police Spokeswoman Raluca Seucan said that tons of diesel fuel were found, along with several sums of money and a small number of guns, were found during the raids. To be more precise, this amounts to 65,000 liters of fuel, RON 1.3 M, 19 cars, four pumps, storage tanks, two hunting rifles kept against legal regulations, 65 hunting cartridges, 44 telephones and laptop computers, and 195 boxes of cigarettes without stamps.222 of the 241people sought were taken for questioning. Seucan explained that they are suspected of fuel thefts, complicity, concealers and witnesses.

The questioning began at the Prosecutor’s office of the Dambovita Tribunal and IPJ Dambovita.”There have been found legally-possessed yet, improperly kept weapons, tens of tons of petrol, diesel and crude oil products, which were picked up from the domiciles of the suspects. Also, goods and documents, along with large amounts of money were picked from the offices of six commercial companies. Almost all of the suspects were taken to the Prosecutor’s Office of the Dambovita Tribunal and IPJ Dambovita for questioning,” Romanian Police spokeswoman Raluca Seucan said. Judicial sources hold that the suspect ring included five police officers, some of whom from the Cornesti (Dambovita Co.) Police Station, a firefighter and a gendarme. “If our colleagues are found to have provided support to the culprits, they will be held accountable,” Seucan pointed out.

Four slightly injured during action

At some point during searches, a Police car capsized at Darmanesti, Dambovita Co., with those injured being taken to the Ploiesti County Emergency Hospital. “A tire burst, while the car was on its way to the Prosecutor’s Office of the Dambovita Tribunal. The injured are out of harm’s way,” Seucan explained. In his turn, Dr. Daniel Nicolae, spokesman for the Prahova County Ambulance Service, said: “Four people with minor injuries are receiving medical and are out of danger. Two of the policemen sustained fractures”.