A gas theft scheme worth 87.5 million hryvnias has been uncovered in Chernivtsi
This was announced by Serhiy Koretskyi, Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz of Ukraine.
According to Serhiy Koretskyi, in Chernivtsi, criminals illegally laid a gas pipeline to a block of flats and connected to the gas distribution system without authorisation.
As a result, according to Naftogaz, the gas was used to power a local boiler house without proper metering or payment.
The scheme was uncovered by security specialists from ‘Gazmerezh’ and ‘Naftogaz’.
Following an investigation, all the evidence gathered was handed over to the law enforcement authorities. Koretskyi stated that the company would seek compensation for the losses incurred.
What losses does Naftogaz cite?
According to the company’s estimates, the losses amount to at least 87.5 million hryvnias.
Koretsky also promised to reveal the names of those behind the scheme at a later date.
The chairman of Naftogaz’s board noted that gas theft by domestic consumers causes significant losses to the energy sector.
According to him, the annual losses from such schemes can run into billions of hryvnias.
“This is the result of various schemes and frauds, which we are combating and systematically putting right,” said Koretskyi.
The scheme in Chernivtsi does not involve an individual domestic consumer, but rather a boiler house that may have been using gas for a long time via an illegal connection.
Such cases affect the financial health of the gas sector, pose risks to network safety and increase the burden on law-abiding consumers.
Law enforcement agencies must carry out a legal assessment of the evidence provided by ‘Gazmerzhi’ and ‘Naftogaz’.
Separately, the company has announced its intention to seek compensation for losses.
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