Romanian Police Use Warning Shots To Catch Fuel Theft Suspects

The spokeswoman of the local transport police, Cerasela Miron, said local transport police and security guards of oil company Rompetrol SA organized a stake-out Monday night to catch people stealing fuel from the wagons of freight trains traveling the route Constanta – Cernavoda.

Police spotted three men atop the wagons of a freight train, who were loading gas into plastic containers.

„Their method is simple. The climb on the cistern wagons, open the lid, and lower a container tied with ropes, fill it and pull it back,” Miron.

Police called on the three suspects to halt and turn themselves in and one of the officers had to use a hunting weapon with rubber balls, firing one shot in the air and another towards the suspects.

„After the second fire, it seems one of the suspects was injured because there was a scream, but he wasn’t caught,” Miron added.

However, police did manage to catch Iulica Turcanu, 20, who is unemployed and is investigated in about 20 criminal files for fuel theft.

Police found about half a ton of gas at the scene and continue investigations to catch the other two suspects.