The Cagliari Flying Squad uncovered a massive scam involving €120,000, stolen in just three months through fuel cards, targeting San Germano, a waste collection company in several Sardinian municipalities. The perpetrator was a former employee, identified and arrested following a thorough investigation.
The investigation by the fourth section of the Flying Squad began with a complaint filed at the Police Headquarters on May 21st by the company manager, who had reported the improper use of some company fuel cards.
Initial internal investigations revealed an anomalous movement of fuel, initially estimated at approximately €75,000, attributable to five cards associated with as many company vehicles. These vehicles, however, had been scrapped for several months.
Investigators reconstructed, through a meticulous analysis of the acquired documentation, that the fraudulent use of the cards had begun as early as February and was still ongoing at the time of the complaint.
The samples were taken at numerous gas stations throughout the province of Cagliari. The investigation therefore focused on acquiring and analyzing the gas stations' video surveillance systems. This was a lengthy and particularly demanding task, requiring the recovery, viewing, and comparison of numerous images recorded at different locations and on different days. It was precisely by cross-referencing these elements that the investigators were able to identify the former employee , who, it turned out, had already been dismissed from the company for disciplinary misconduct.
The Flying Squad organized tailings, until the man was caught in Sestu on board a van, shortly after refueling his car for approximately €700 using one of the cards reported.
Officers determined that the fuel was being transferred into two large 200-liter metal drums, placed in the cargo area of the vehicle. A subsequent search of the home led to the seizure of another 200 liters of fuel, stored in about ten jerry cans.
