Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Conduct Year-Round Investigation into Fake Oil Distribution

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will conduct year-round investigations into illegal distribution of petroleum products to prevent the circulation of 'fake oil.'

Fake oil is manufactured by mixing kerosene, petrochemical products, etc., into normal petroleum products for use or intended use as fuel for vehicles or machinery. Fake oil causes damage to key parts of vehicle engines or exhaust systems, posing not only economic losses but also safety threats.

The main investigation targets include ▲ manufacturing and selling fake petroleum products or selling substandard quality products ▲ selling petroleum through undocumented transactions ▲ selling kerosene as vehicle fuel ▲ selling unregistered petroleum ▲ selling petroleum below the standard quantity ▲ mobile sales of petroleum products, etc.

The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Fair Trade will track and arrest not only sellers of fake oil but also suppliers involved in manufacturing and distribution. They will also notify related agencies to recover any unfair profits identified during the investigation. All illegal petroleum products seized will be immediately confiscated and disposed of.

According to the current 'Petroleum and Petroleum Substitute Fuel Business Act,' those who manufacture, store, or sell fake oil face imprisonment of up to 5 years or fines up to 200 million KRW. Violating businesses will also face administrative sanctions such as business suspension or closure by the competent authorities.

Information on gas stations caught for illegal distribution of petroleum products such as manufacturing and selling fake oil can be found on the Opinet website (opinet.co.kr) and the smartphone app 'Illegal Activity Disclosure.'

Kim Young-su, head of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Fair Trade, emphasized, "With the rise in international oil prices, offenders involved in illegal distribution of fake oil are expected to become more active. We will strengthen on-site crackdowns in cooperation with the Korea Petroleum Management Service to establish a sound distribution order for petroleum products and create an environment where consumers can refuel with confidence."

Meanwhile, last year, the special judicial police in the province conducted a planned investigation targeting petroleum sellers in the province for illegal distribution activities such as manufacturing and selling fake oil, uncovering 30 suspects who distributed 6 billion KRW worth of illegal petroleum products and referring them to the prosecution.

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