According to the daily newspaper “O Pais”, the network that involved drivers of ambulances, garbage trucks and other council vehicles was syphoning off about five hundred litres every day. This added up to fuel worth half a million meticais (about 16,600 US dollars) per month.
Suspicious fuel consumption in some vehicles led the Council to investigate. This resulted in the arrest of the gang in a private house in the neighbourhood of Manga in the outskirts of the city.
One of the gang, Jaime Jose, admitted that they had used hoses to syphon off 20 litres of fuel from each vehicle. The fuel was then sold off at a discount price of 25 meticais per litre.
The Mayor of Beira, Daviz Simango, told the newspaper “it is very sad that this has happened. Some of those involved have worked for the Council for more than twenty years and should have been examples of good management and public service. We will do everything we can to see exemplary punishment applied”.
Beira City Council is negotiating with a company to install devices to tackle fuel theft.
Post published in: Africa News