Gas Station Making Hundreds of Millions by Selling Fake 'Gyeongyu'... Mixed Kerosene as Prices Soared Caught by Undercover Vehicle

Recent price board at a gas station in Seoul. The diesel price has nearly caught up with the gasoline price.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] A gas station operator who distributed "fake diesel" mixed with kerosene as diesel prices soared, chasing gasoline prices, was caught by the police and handed over to the prosecution.

According to the Saha Police Station in Busan on the 12th, the Intelligent Crime Investigation Team received a tip in early March that a gas station in Saha-gu was mixing expensive diesel with cheap kerosene and selling it.

The police, in cooperation with the Petroleum Management Service, secretly deployed a sample collection and analysis vehicle to confirm the illegal activity, arrested Mr. A who had earned hundreds of millions of won in illicit profits, and recently sent him to the prosecution.

Mr. A is suspected of seeking arbitrage profits from the skyrocketing diesel prices and cheap kerosene prices.

From January to recently, the price difference between diesel and kerosene ranged significantly from 360 won to 550 won per liter.

The police estimated that the fake diesel sold at this gas station was about 20,000 liters per day. They believe the gas station earned at least 200 million won per month in profits.

Fake diesel is known to cause serious damage to vehicles.

According to the Petroleum and Petroleum Substitute Fuel Business Act, those who manufacture and sell "fake" fuel face imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 200 million won.

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