Murcia – The Guardia Civil of the Murcia region, in collaboration with the Pliego Local Police, has conducted an investigation into the theft of fuel from a municipal garbage collection truck. This operation has led to the arrest of a local resident, suspected of committing multiple counts of theft with force.
The detainee, a 34-year-old man with an extensive criminal record, is also accused of stealing 600 litres of diesel from a semi-truck parked on a public street in the same town.
The investigation began in February when authorities became aware of a fuel theft at the Ecopark in Pliego, where 200 litres of diesel were stolen from the municipal garbage truck.
On two separate occasions, the truck driver reported that the fuel tank cap had been forced open and a significant amount of diesel was missing.
From that moment, the Guardia Civil, in coordination with the Pliego Local Police, launched an inquiry to uncover those responsible.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the Ecopark, which captured an individual tampering with the municipal truck’s fuel tank.
Shortly after, another fuel theft case emerged, directing authorities toward a well-known local criminal suspected of stealing 600 litres of diesel from a parked semi-truck.
The investigation confirmed that the individual seen in the Ecopark security footage matched witness descriptions of a man siphoning fuel from the truck parked on a public street.
The suspect, a 34-year-old resident of Pliego with a lengthy criminal history, has been arrested for two counts of theft with force and one count of larceny, with the total value of stolen fuel exceeding €1,300.
