Illegal fuel station found in Carnikava, Latvia

At the end of March, the State Police discovered an illegal gas station in Carnikava, Ādaži Municipality, from which approximately 15 tonnes of illegally stored diesel fuel were seized, police said on 2nd April.

On March 26 of this year, the State Police conducted operations related to the suspected illegal storage of petroleum products in significant quantities.

A man born in 1970, who had not previously come to the attention of the police, was detained on suspicion of illegally selling diesel fuel. During three searches, a tank containing approximately 14,000 litres of diesel fuel was found and seized. A hose and fuel nozzles were also attached to the tank.

A vehicle containing approximately 850 litres of diesel fuel was also seized.

During the searches, police also seized a "VW Crafter" vehicle and 6,219 euros in cash, which was most likely obtained through criminal means.

In connection with the incident, criminal proceedings have been initiated regarding the illegal storage, movement (transportation), or sale of petroleum products, if committed on a significant scale. Such an offence is punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, short-term imprisonment, probation, community service, or a fine.

A non-custodial security measure has been applied to the suspect for the duration of the investigation, while the seized diesel fuel has been transferred to the State Security Agency for storage and will undergo forensic examination.

The value of the seized fuel on the black market is estimated at approximately 25,000 euros.