Tienen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Cebenax in Tienen was hit by thieves 3 times, losing 1,500 L of diesel. Manager Kristof Benaid reports ongoing losses and frustration despite added cameras and security measures.
As VRT News reported, thieves have struck the Cebenax transport company in the Tienen business park for the 3rd time in a short period. Manager Kristof Benaid says about 1,500 litres of diesel have been stolen in total. The repeated break-ins have caused heavy losses for the business.
Benaid has filed police reports after every incident, but he says there has been no progress in tracking down the offenders. The company is now facing serious concerns over security in the industrial zone, with the manager questioning how such thefts can continue without consequences.
Why are thieves targeting Cebenax and other companies in Tienen?
In one of the break-ins, Benaid caught the thieves in the act. He tried to stop them, but they escaped before the police arrived. “They just ran away,” he said. The repeated fuel thefts are disrupting operations and driving up costs for the transport company, which depends on diesel for its work. Benaid says the situation is becoming impossible to manage, as the risk of yet another burglary remains, and the thieves are still free.
“De Watergroep, the company next door, has also been burglarised several times,”
Benaid explains.
“The thieves made off with brass and copper, valuable metals that are often resold.”
Benaid says he has taken extra steps to protect his site. More cameras have been installed, and detector lights have been placed around the premises. Even so, the thieves keep coming. A forest runs behind the property, and intruders cut a hole in the fence to get inside. They have even taken down some of the lights to avoid being spotted.
A man in Belgium has been jailed for 15 months and fined €400 for stealing diesel from trucks in 2023. Police say he took about 200 litres from one vehicle and 480 litres from another. The stolen fuel was found at his home, stored in plastic bottles. Investigators linked the thefts to him, and the court ordered him to pay €5,700 in compensation to the haulage companies.
