Mexican oil thieves drill taps into pipelines

MEXICO CITY _ Authorities say Mexican oil thieves built a camouflaged truck to transport fuel stolen from government pipelines. Police found a tunnel built by pipeline thieves in the same state of Guanajuato last week.
The discoveries show the sophistication of thieves who drill taps into state-owned pipelines thousands of times every year to steal gasoline and diesel.
The Guanajuato state government said Monday it found a gravel truck in which a huge fuel tank had been welded into the bed, covered by a hatch and a layer of gravel to avoid detection.
Guanajuato prosecutors said that on April 2 they found a 15-yard (meter) long tunnel built under fuel pipelines.
The tunnel allowed thieves to drill taps undetected and transport fuel by hoses to a lot where trucks collected stolen fuel.
The Canadian Press