Oil well guard arrested in attempted fuel theft, police say

BASRA — Energy police in Basra said Saturday they arrested a security guard accused of trying to steal 3,000 liters of fuel from an oil well he was assigned to protect.

In a statement, the Fourth Battalion of the Eighth Brigade said a joint team was dispatched after receiving an alert about a theft attempt at a site under the protection of Taaz Security Company.

The team, which included personnel from the battalion, Energy Police Intelligence, personal security, and Taaz Security, found a vehicle lacking official documentation. It was loaded with a 2,000-liter plastic tank containing an unidentified oil product, along with an empty 1,000-liter tank, a pump, and a 12-meter hose.

The guard, an employee of the private security company assigned to safeguard the site, was arrested at the scene.

A report was filed, and both the suspect and the vehicle were transferred to the Burjesia Oil Police Station for further investigation.