Under the guise of a construction site, a group rented an empty lot and erected a construction perimeter and construction shack with the purpose of pilfering gasoline from the Recope pipeline running through the property.
A spill alterted El Coyol de Alajuela area residents and merchants to the strong smell of gasoline, leading police to find some 2,300 liters of fuel stored in plastic tanks.
The spill released some 300 liters of fuel which was quickly contained by the Bomberos (Fire Department) through the use of special foam. Recope officials quickly sealed the drilling hole, the OIJ is investigating.
The theft of gasoline from Recope pipelines is not new.