In Kemerovo, law enforcement authorities detained a service station worker suspected of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that led to the sale of a customer’s car. The employee allegedly received 350 thousand rubles from the vehicle owner under the pretense of procuring spare parts and completing repairs dated earlier in the year. This information comes from an official release by the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Kemerovo region.
The sequence of events reportedly began in June when the client left a foreign-registered vehicle at the gas station to have its engine and suspension repaired. Shortly thereafter, the service technician claimed there would be a delay in obtaining the necessary spare parts, suggesting the customer would need to wait an additional month, while also demanding approximately 350 thousand rubles as payment for consumables and labor. The police statement notes that the vehicle owner complied with the payment request and transferred the funds as instructed.
After the payment was made, contact with the master ceased. It was not until September, after the driver reached out to the traffic police for assistance, that he learned the Volkswagen Tiguan had been sold to a third party in Novokuznetsk. The discovery revealed a grave breach of trust and a potential crime of fraud, not merely a case of unfulfilled repairs.
The 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan, which had been taken without authorization, was subsequently recovered by investigators and is now held as material evidence. Authorities have asserted that the vehicle would be returned to its rightful owner upon the completion of the investigation, assuming restitution is possible under applicable law. The worker at the gas station faces potential prison time of up to ten years if convicted of fraud.
Separately in Chelyabinsk, local police reported that another Volkswagen Tiguan theft had occurred, with suspects dismantling the vehicle and removing the body panels. The incident underscores a broader pattern of vehicle fraud and property theft that has drawn scrutiny from regional law enforcement agencies. Authorities emphasize the importance of conducting transactions through verifiable channels and maintaining thorough records to prevent misappropriation and similar offenses. [Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs, Kemerovo region]