Athens, November 18, 2022

PRESS RELEASE

The Directorate of Financial Police dismantled an organized criminal group (OCG) involved in trafficking of chemicals employed for the adulteration of fuels at gas stations

The two gas stations locatedin Attica region violated the inflows and outflows control systemthrough a special mechanism;the Police locked down one of the gas stations 

Four members of the OCG were arrested, while one more person is included in the case file

The operation was carried out after exploiting intelligence about a tank truck transporting chemical solvents and supplying them to gas stations in the Attica area.

On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, the Police carried out a control monitoring the unloading of the truck’s content at a gas station: it was revealed that the tank truck was loaded with 20,000 liters of counterfeit fuel for which it did not have any documents, while it lacked a registration license and had a fake chassis number. In addition, the tank truck had previously unloaded its content at another gas station.

Investigations that followed at the fuel stations were conducted under the coordination of SEK and with the assistance of officers of the 4th Customs Services of Piraeus, the Department of Control and Fuel Storage of the Ministry of Development (DEDAK) and the Customs Audit Service in Attica(EL.YT.), with the following findings:

At the first gas station:

• it was found operating without a license, as it had been revoked by the licensing Authority,

• 3 remote controls were found that interfered with the operation of the pumps and the inflows and outflows control system,

• did not issue receipts from the tax mechanism when selling adulterated fuel,

• samples were taken from the tanks and pumps and found to be adulterated with chemical solvents,

• a specially designed intake port for contraband fuel was located in a tank, where when it was introduced into the tank, the quantity of contraband-adulterated fuel was not recorded in the inflows and outflows control system,

• various tax data, printouts showing the inflows and outflows and the daily balance, thePCwith the inflows and outflows control system and 1,785.13 euros were seized.

At the second gas station: 4 remote controls were found which were used for the unauthorized interference in the gas station's inflows-outflows system, while fuel samples were taken which were found to be not normal.

In addition, in a search carried out at the house of a member of the OCG, the following were found and confiscated:

• folding globe,

• 2 air guns,

• iron fist,

• tablets and

• 7,290 euros

The evaded duties and taxes from the seized amount of contraband fuel in the tank truck exceed the sum of 20,000 euros.

The digital evidence will be sent to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations for examination.

The above arrested persons are taken to the competent prosecuting authority.