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Petrobras computer theft not espionage: police
RIO DE JANEIRO
Petroleumworld.com, Mar 03, 2008Police in Brazil have concluded that a recent theft of computers containing secret information about new gas and oil discoveries was an ordinary robbery, and not industrial espionage, following the arrest of four suspects.
The four people arrested Thursday "were poorly educated (and) they had no idea of what the stolen equipment contained," the police commander in charge of the investigation, Vagner Caetano, told reporters.
The theft of four laptop computers and two hard drives from a container last month sparked alarm when it was revealed they contained data from the state-run oil company Petrobras on recently discovered petroleum and gas fields that would benefit other firms wanting to win exploitation licenses.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had described the information as "a state secret" and panicked police initially said they believed foul play at an industrial level was involved.
A police counter-espionage unit was even drafted in to help the probe.
But Caetano said Thursday that "the hypothesis of a theft for industrial espionage has been totally discarded."
The four suspects had the stolen computer equipment in their possession when they were arrested, as well as gear from other companies.
The Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper said Friday the four were security guards contracted to protect goods transiting through the port where the computers were stolen.
Brazil is jealously guarding information and rights relating to its Tupi field, a massive petroleum reserve that could turn the country into one of the biggest oil producers in the world.
Petrobras revealed in November that the field could produce up to eight billion barrels of light oil -- enough to swell total national reserves by 50 percent and put Brazil on par with OPEC members.
Story from AFP
AFP 29 1953 GMT 02 08
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