Fuel theft on A1 in Leiria: two arrested after theft of 400 litres
The GNR arrested two men for fuel theft at a service area on the A1 motorway in Leiria. 400 litres were recovered and a heavy vehicle and an extraction pump were seized.
Two men arrested for fuel theft on A1 in Leiria
The GNR arrested two men for fuel theft at a service area on Motorway 1 (A1) at Cardosos, in the municipality of Leiria, according to CNN Portugal.
The Leiria Territorial Command of the GNR stated in a statement that the operation began following a complaint lodged on Wednesday. Subsequent steps made it possible to "locate and intercept the suspects who were in possession of the stolen fuel, which is why they were arrested".
The action resulted in the recovery of 400 litres of fuel, as well as the seizure of a heavy goods vehicle and a pump used in the extraction.
The two defendants, aged 24 and 46, were brought before Leiria District Court, where each was issued a fine of 1,200 euros, a GNR source told the Lusa news agency.
The person who alerted the authorities was the injured driver himself, who was inside his vehicle at the time of the theft and heard a suspicious noise. The suspects connected a pump directly to the victim's vehicle tank to transfer the fuel into the car they were travelling in, before fleeing. They were intercepted whilst still on the A1, near Torres Novas, in the district of Santarém.
The GNR used the statement to "emphasise the importance of public collaboration in preventing and combating crime", stressing that "swift reporting of suspicious situations to police authorities contributes to effective intervention and the protection of people and property".
Source: CNN Portugal