03.10.2023, Frankfurt-on-Main.
Italian financial police revealed details of a criminal scheme by which criminals stole kerosene from NATO pipelines, the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper wrote on October 3.
The newspaper recalls that the theft of fuel from the NATO-owned Central European Pipeline System (CEPS) was discovered in 2019. In total, more than 800,000 liters of kerosene were stolen.
The theft was organized by tapping into the pipe on the border of France and Belgium. The financial police of the Italian city of Rimini revealed the details of the process.
“The stolen kerosene was delivered to Italy and illegally sold to unsuspecting drivers,” the publication notes. The police estimated the volume of fuel sold at 900 thousand liters, which exceeds the initial estimate of the theft.
The police accuse three Italian firms of helping the criminals. They helped to sell stolen fuel in different regions of the country. The fuel was mixed with diesel and gasoline before being sold.
The NATO press service noted that no repeat cases of theft have been reported. The Alliance is doing everything possible to prevent theft from the 5,300-kilometer system.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
