The Federal Police and the National Intelligence Center recovered over 200,000 liters of stolen propane yesterday and arrested 16 people implicated in the theft and distribution of the fuel.
Police said in a statement that intelligence work led to the discovery of a dirt road in the Puebla municipality of San Miguel Xotla, from which several tanker trucks were constantly coming and going.
The National Gendarmerie was deployed to the neighboring municipality of Zacatelco, Tlaxcala, and located an illegal pipeline tap.
The seizure of nine tanker trucks carrying 202,000 liters of propane followed, along with the arrests.
A propane gas industry association says Pemex and private businesses are losing about 13 billion pesos a year (US $642 million to propane theft. The theft is widespread, said Amexgas, but is seen principally in Puebla, Tlaxcala and Veracruz.
Source: Milenio (sp)
