Six Arrested, Three Detained on Charges of Violating the Oil Pipeline Safety Management Act
Police in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, who received a report suspecting oil theft from a pipeline, are digging a tunnel using an excavator. Provided by Gyeongbuk Police Agency
Individuals who rented a vacant commercial property near an oil pipeline and dug a tunnel in an attempt to drill into the pipeline and steal oil have been apprehended by police.
On May 12, the Gyeongbuk Police Agency announced that it had arrested six members of the group on charges of violating the Oil Pipeline Safety Management Act, with three of them being taken into custody. The suspects are accused of renting two commercial buildings in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, from March to July of last year, and attempting to steal oil from the pipeline by digging tunnels with pickaxes and shovels.
The group meticulously planned the crime in order to evade investigation. However, their attempt was foiled when gaps created by the excavation were noticed by nearby residents, and because the pipeline was buried too deep due to backfilling, they failed to reach it. The suspects divided roles among themselves, including securing funds, searching for locations, managing finances, and on-site work. Concerned that their activities might be discovered, they mainly worked during late-night hours. To avoid suspicion, they also took measures such as displaying actual goods in the commercial properties or tinting the windows so that the interior could not be seen from outside.
Police received intelligence about the planned oil pipeline theft and, by analyzing CCTV footage from nearby commercial buildings and phone records, identified the ringleader and workers. Through search and seizure operations, they confirmed the entire crime by seizing tools purchased for the operation and ledgers detailing the dates and times of the attempted theft, and also tracked down and apprehended other accomplices.
Meanwhile, another attempted oil pipeline theft was detected in September of last year. In Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do, an individual identified as A, who had previously served a prison sentence for oil pipeline theft, recruited accomplices after being released and rented a warehouse in Dujeong-dong. After working on the scheme for four months, the group was arrested when the Korea Petroleum Quality & Distribution Authority received an anonymous tip and reported the case to the police.
A representative from the Gyeongbuk Police Agency stated, "We will strengthen intelligence gathering on oil theft crimes targeting pipelines, which are special assets of high social and economic value, and preemptively suppress criminal activity through preventive policing." The official added, "We will respond firmly to crimes involving oil pipelines, which can cause not only human and material damage from explosions and fires, but also have a significant impact on society through environmental pollution."
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