“Officers of the MIA of Russia Administration for the Orenburg Region, with the assistance of the regional department of the FSB of Russia, corporate security services of Gazprom and Rosneft, detained three citizens on suspicion of committing repeated theft of hydrocarbons.

A few months ago, the offenders in the area of the 383rd kilometer of the M-5 Ural highway in the Orenburg Region illegally cut into an oil pipeline. It was established that the stolen oil first came into containers hidden underground, and then was transported by freight transport.

The second cut-in was found in the area of 26th kilometer of the Orenburg-Samara highway. From that cut-in, oil was supplied to an illegal mini-refinery equipped nearby. There, the raw oil went through the necessary processing, after which it was sent to consumers.

It was established that the cut-ins were made by horizontal drilling. Illegal pipelines were laid under the existing ones so that they would not be found.

Preliminarily, energy companies claimed a damage of about 300 million rubles.

Investigative unit of the Investigation Administration of the MIA of Russia Administration for the Orenburg Region initiated criminal proceedings on the features of offenses stipulated by part 3 of Article 158 of the RF Criminal Code.

Police officers, officers of the FSB Department, with the power support of the Rosgvardia, conducted searches, seized equipment necessary for pumping raw materials, trucks, documentation, system units and other items of evidentiary value in the criminal case.

Subsequently, criminal proceedings were merged in one proceeding. The preliminary investigation continues,” said the official spokesperson for the Russian MIA Irina Volk.