Police in Rēzekne detain three men over theft of 850 litres of diesel from machinery

Latvia's State Police have detained three men in Rēzekne on suspicion of a series of diesel thefts from company machinery in the town and the surrounding municipality, the police said on 12 November. About 850 litres of diesel were stolen in September and October.

Caught straight after a theft

On the night of 22 October several people broke into the fuel tank of a machine owned by a company in Rēzekne and took at least 40 litres of diesel. Officers from the North Latgale investigation unit of the police's Latgale regional department detained three people immediately afterwards: a man born in 1987 and two men born in 2001.

Investigators have since found evidence that the men may be linked to other fuel thefts in September and October. Diesel was drained from excavators, a tractor, a woodchip screener and other machinery, causing losses to several companies. Criminal proceedings have been opened into six offences.

The men have been released under a measure that does not involve custody. The cases fall under Section 175(3) of Latvia's Criminal Law, which carries up to five years in prison or a lighter sentence. The police stressed that no one is considered guilty until proven so under the law.

How to protect machinery and fuel

The State Police advise owners of machinery to:

• Park machinery after work in a closed, fenced and well-lit area that outsiders cannot freely enter, and avoid leaving it in remote spots during longer breaks.
• Use CCTV, with cameras also covering where the machinery is parked and the access roads.
• Fit securely lockable fuel caps so the tank cannot be opened without a key.
• Consider fuel-level sensors, which can reveal a sudden, unexpected drop in fuel.

Anyone who sees fuel being stolen or suspicious people around machinery should call the State Police on 110 or the emergency number 112.