Petrobras and the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro signed this Friday morning (6/11) a Cooperation Term for the exchange of public security intelligence information of mutual interest. The agreement will allow Petrobras to act in a more preventive way in the protection and safety of its facilities and its employees, especially with regard to combating theft of fuel in pipelines.

“The signing of this agreement will be very important in the prevention and repression of this crime that puts the safety of the population of Rio de Janeiro at risk. The sharing of information related to this type of crime allows greater agility, contributing even more to the investigations that have led to the arrests of members of gangs specialized in theft of fuel in pipelines ”, explained the director of Institutional Relations and Sustainability at Petrobras, Roberto Ardenghy, who represented the company at the event.

The Cooperation Agreement is another initiative of the Integrated Pipeline Protection Program (Pró-dutos), a commitment by Petrobras to combat, reduce and mitigate risks related to theft in the pipelines. One of the lines of the program is to expand collaborative action with the public intelligence and security forces of the States and the Federal Government.

In Rio de Janeiro, working in partnership has led to a gradual reduction in the number of clandestine branches. In 2018, there were 69 thefts or attempted thefts in pipelines in the state, a number that dropped to 40 in 2019. In the first half of this year, there were seven occurrences.

In addition to the efforts of the Police to combat this type of crime, a bill is being processed in the Chamber of Deputies that makes it harder for those who steal fuel from pipelines. Bill 8.455 / 17, authored by Senator Simone Tebet, provides for sentences of up to 14 years in prison for the most serious cases, and the increase in the sentence, compared with the legislation in force, is also foreseen for those who commercialize, transport and receive the fuel obtained illegally.