The cloned cards were used at gas stations to refuel large vehicles, including trucks and vans equipped with 1,000-liter plastic tanks.

The stolen fuel was reportedly resold to transport companies, further complicating the fraud scheme.

The East Flanders prosecutor collaborated with the Romanian national prosecutor's office, which specializes in organized crime, due to the presence of multiple suspects in Romania.

In Belgium, police executed nine searches, leading to the arrest of six individuals, three of whom were subsequently placed under arrest warrant after appearing before an investigating judge.

The investigation into fuel card fraud was initiated after a card cloning device was discovered in a gas station card reader in East Flanders.

This device was utilized to clone fuel cards belonging to motorists, enabling suspects to fraudulently acquire fuel.

Authorities estimate that the criminal group, suspected of hacking fuel cards, has caused losses of at least €350,000 through extensive fuel theft.

On January 21, 2025, police conducted coordinated raids, resulting in the arrest of seventeen individuals, with nine searches executed in Belgium and sixteen in Romania.

In Romania, eleven individuals were arrested during the searches, including two who were apprehended under a European arrest warrant for extradition to Belgium.