The Egyptian Petroleum Authority has announced the results of its campaigns to monitor the fuel market in September, in coordination with the Ministry of Supply and internal security forces. These efforts led to the foiling of attempts to smuggle and steal gasoline and diesel, as well as the detection of fraud and manipulation in the quantities of fuel sold to citizens. The authority's Central Committee for Monitoring the Circulation of Petroleum Products carried out these campaigns.
In Asyut, the committee detected manipulation by one of the fuel stations, where the station had adjusted the calibration of all its dispensers to reduce the quantities of fuel received by citizens. An investigation revealed that the station had stolen 2,000 liters of fuel in a single day. The committee sealed off the dispensers in coordination with the Egyptian Metrology and Standards Authority and took legal action.
In Aswan, the committee tracked a truck loaded with 6 tons of 92-octane gasoline, intended for smuggling. The truck was stopped at a checkpoint, and the driver was taken into custody. The committee also seized two other trucks that had been modified with additional tanks to collect and smuggle diesel fuel. The vehicles were confiscated, and their owners were subject to legal action.
The committee detected another vehicle involved in similar smuggling activities, but the driver escaped, crashing into a citizen's car and nearly hitting others. The committee provided the vehicle's details to the security forces for further action. Additionally, in the Sohag governorate, the committee caught a tanker driver stealing part of his fuel cargo. Measurements also revealed excess quantities beyond what was stated on the invoice.
Further cases of fuel theft were uncovered, including one on the Cairo-Aswan desert highway, where a tanker driver had lit a fire inside one of the vehicle's compartments, posing a risk of fire and explosion. The committee also discovered a fuel station in Dakahlia that was hoarding petroleum products illegally and selling them through a pump connected to the station's tanks.
The Egyptian Petroleum Authority's campaigns led to the filing of cases against several fuel stations in Damietta, Asyut, and Aswan, involving the illegal circulation of 48,223 liters of petroleum products. The authority also investigated a complaint from a fuel station in Cairo, verifying the products in the tanks, water levels, and conducting chemical analyses.
The committee conducted inspections of 183 fuel stations in 13 governorates, identifying violations of operating and safety regulations. The relevant marketing companies were notified to promptly rectify these issues. The Egyptian Petroleum Authority emphasized its continued efforts to curb fuel smuggling and fraud, protecting the rights of citizens and the state.
Key points
- The Egyptian Petroleum Authority foiled multiple attempts to smuggle fuel and uncovered cases of fraud in several governorates.
- The authority conducted inspections of 183 fuel stations, identifying safety and operational violations.
- The campaigns resulted in the seizure of 48,223 liters of petroleum products being circulated illegally.
