In Karelia, the prosecutor's office closed sites with practical tips on how to steal light, water and gas

The City Court of Petrozavodsk granted the request of the prosecutor to recognize information prohibited in Russia about the methods of theft of communal resources located on 13 sites. This was reported by the press service of the prosecutor's office of Karelia.

The department clarified that these sites contain information on methods of theft of electricity and other communal resources "through deliberate distortion of indicators of metering devices (water, gas)." There was also an advertisement with a proposal to buy technical devices that allow for unaccounted for the consumption of communal resources.

The prosecutor’s office recalls that the use of modified metering devices and other devices that allow the consumer to underestimate the volume of utility resources and not pay for part of the actually consumed resources is illegal and entails administrative responsibility under Art. 7.19 Administrative Code ("unauthorized connection and use of electric, thermal energy, oil or gas") or criminal liability under Art. 165 of the Criminal Code ("causing property damage by deception or abuse of trust").

After the court decision comes into force, its copy will be sent to Roskomnadzor to include these sites in the “black list” of Internet resources, which should be blocked by operators in the Russian Federation.

We will remind, earlier this year the press described the scale of resource theft in Russia, noting that most often citizens steal electricity, since technically the easiest to connect to its source. And in the North Caucasus, gas is actively steal: instead of gasoline, it is pumped into a car cylinder directly from the house pipe.