Organized Crime Involving a Tunneling Technician
Three Suspects Detained on Charges of Violating the Oil Pipeline Safety Management Act
A group of thieves who attempted to steal oil by digging a tunnel to an oil pipeline in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, have been apprehended by the police.
They meticulously prepared for the crime, even mobilizing a tunneling technician. However, due to a report from a nearby resident and their failure to locate the pipeline, the attempt ultimately ended in failure.
On May 13, the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency announced that they had arrested six individuals on charges of attempting to steal oil from a pipeline in violation of the Oil Pipeline Safety Management Act, and that three of them had been detained.
According to the investigation, from March to July, the suspects rented two vacant commercial properties in the ○○-dong area of Gumi. Using pickaxes and shovels, they attempted to dig a tunnel toward the direction where the oil pipeline was buried.
They abandoned their first attempt out of concern for the attention of local residents. In their second attempt, they dug down to a depth of about five meters, but failed to locate the pipeline due to a soil embankment, resulting in an unsuccessful attempt.
The investigation revealed that the suspects divided their roles among a ringleader, a financier, and on-site workers. They disguised the operation as a legitimate business during the day to avoid suspicion, demonstrating a high level of planning.
They tinted the windows of the commercial properties to prevent the interior from being seen, and carried out the excavation work at night, employing organized and covert methods.
The police launched an investigation based on a tip-off that "there might be a tunnel inside a commercial property." They analyzed nearby CCTV footage and phone records, conducted a search and seizure at the site, and secured ledgers detailing the timing of the crime and purchase records of tools, successfully identifying all the suspects.
A police official stated, "Oil pipelines are not only at risk of explosion and fire, but are also critical national infrastructure that must be strictly protected. We will continue to respond firmly to related crimes and strengthen crime prevention-focused policing activities."
The official also urged, "The police operate a protection and reward system for informants, so we encourage citizens who have information related to crimes to report it without hesitation."
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