400 Billion Won-Scale ‘Fake Diesel’ Distribution Ring Busted

Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 3rd that they have sent 62 members of a group who manufactured and distributed counterfeit diesel fuel worth around 40 billion won to the prosecution. Photo unrelated to the article. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] A group involved in distributing counterfeit diesel fuel worth around 40 billion KRW has been caught by the police.

On the 3rd, the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency announced that they had arrested 62 people, including A (52, ringleader), on charges of violating the Petroleum and Petroleum Substitute Fuel Business Act.

Among those arrested, the police sent 4 to the prosecution with a recommendation for detention and 58 with a recommendation for indictment without detention.

According to the police, from April to October last year, A and others transported ship fuel imported from abroad to a bonded fuel storage area in Busan, then mixed the ship fuel with automotive diesel and distributed it to 37 gas stations nationwide, including in Daejeon, Daegu, Busan, and Gyeongnam.

It is reported that they planned the crime by exploiting the fact that ship fuel is not subject to taxation.

In particular, police investigations revealed that the counterfeit diesel distributed by A and others through this method amounted to 35 million liters, with a market value of 43.7 billion KRW.

Additionally, it was found that gas stations knowingly purchased the counterfeit diesel supplied by A and others at prices about 10% lower than the normal price and sold it to consumers as is.

A police official stated, "If a vehicle is fueled with the counterfeit diesel distributed by A, there is a possibility of vehicle problems (malfunctions). The police plan to actively crack down on counterfeit diesel and similar crimes."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.