Hotline of power engineering specialists:
Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region summed up the results of the first half of the year to prevent theft of power equipment and its elements from power grid facilities. During this period, specialists of the security unit of the energy companies, including in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, revealed 111 cases of theft for a total of 10 million 678 thousand rubles.
Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region react promptly and toughly to revealed facts of theft. Applications are sent to law enforcement agencies. Criminal cases are initiated, courts pass sentences. Disciplinary measures are taken in relation to officials who committed the theft, with compensation for the economic damage caused to the company.
On 14 May, the security unit of the Kalugaenergo branch, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, uncovered the theft of a power transformer. On suspicion of committing this crime, three citizens were detained, against whom a criminal case was initiated. The stolen transformer, worth more than 65 thousand rubles, was found and seized.
“The reliability of power supply in 20 regions of the country depends on how effectively we manage to protect the integrity of power grid infrastructure facilities. Therefore, the management of Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region keeps under constant control the work to identify and prevent theft of electrical equipment. Our security forces are uncompromising in the fight against such crimes by strengthening and expanding cooperation with law enforcement agencies. As a result, we record the steadily growing efficiency of this activity,” stressed Igor Makovskiy, General Director of Rosseti Centre - the managing organization of Rosseti Centre and Volga Region.
An additional effect in the fight against theft of electrical equipment is brought by the systemic strengthening by the security unit of Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region of control over the improvement by branches of protection measures for power facilities based on the use of engineering and technical security means.
So, on 15 June, in the Smolensk region, thanks to promptly received alarms from the device installed on overhead line No. 603 of the “Karyernaya” substation, power engineers managed to quickly identify the theft of electrical equipment. As a result of timely organized interaction, on suspicion of committing this crime, a resident of the Republic of Belarus was detained by police officers, the stolen equipment was returned.
A similar case occurred on 30 June in the Voronezh region. An alarm signal was sent to the dispatcher’s console of the Voronezhenergo branch from the signaling device installed at the 110/35/10 kV “Ramon-2” substation. The employees of the branch who arrived at the power facility found an unknown man who managed to escape from the scene in a car. But as a result of interaction with police officers and subsequent operational-search activities, the identity of the unknown was established. In the course of the search, elements of grid electrical equipment were found and seized from the detainee.
The power engineers remind that illegal entry into power facilities and theft of power equipment can cause power failures in settlements and socially significant facilities. In addition, such illegal actions endanger the life and health of the violators themselves.
So, on 1 May, in the Ivanovo region, when an attempt was made to steal a piece of wire from a 10 kV overhead line of packaged transformer substation No. 124 of the “Yelnat” substation in the Yuryevetsky district, a man born in 1995 was shocked to death.
On 22 May, in the Kostroma region, the body of a suspect in the theft of electrical equipment was found under an overhead line near the “Krasnoye” substation. Nearby were the devices necessary for these purposes. A similar case occurred on 25 May in the Voronezh region at the closed transformer substation No. 310 “AMV”.
Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region remind that the legislation provides for serious penalties for theft of electrical equipment. For the commission of these actions in accordance with Art. 215.2. of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, a fine is provided in the amount of 100 to 500 thousand rubles or in the amount of the wage or other income of the convicted person for a period of one to three years, or correctional labour for a term of one to two years, or imprisonment for a term of one year up to three years. Similar actions committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy or by an official using his official position are punishable by imprisonment for a term of three to five years with a fine of up to 80 thousand rubles or in the amount of the convicted person’s salary or other income for a period of up to six months or without it.
The power engineers urge everyone who becomes aware of facts of theft or damage to power equipment at facilities of the power grid complex to immediately report this by the 24-hour telephone number of the Contact Centre of Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region at 8-800-220-0-220, and also to law enforcement agencies.