Black market fuel on the rise

27 Jun 2022

Black market fuel on the rise

27 Jun 2022

By Dinitha Rathnayake Black market fuel rackets are on the rise islandwide amidst the ongoing fuel shortage, while people post advertisements on social media regarding the booking of spots in the fuel queues that are being experienced islandwide. According to reports, a black market fuel racket has been set up consisting of a network of filling station employees and middlemen. “The price of one litre of diesel is around Rs. 2,500 at the moment, while petrol ranges from Rs. 600-1000 per litre. Some people keep their vehicles continually in the fuel queues to get fuel, including three-wheelers, motorbikes, lorries, vans, and unload fuel. They use a two-millimetre (mm) plastic pipe to unload the fuel and use empty containers; some store around 200 litres,” sources said, adding that petrol traded in this manner is usually filled in plastic bags or empty water bottles, which has its dangers. It is reported that employees at several petrol sheds dispense petrol to middlemen at the rate of Rs. 500 per litre, while the latter sell the petrol to consumers at an inflated price starting from Rs. 600 per litre. “There are people who are ready to buy petrol at that price instead of waiting in long queues. People have come to a point where they are helpless and will do anything to obtain fuel to continue with their work,” they said. Meanwhile, it was also revealed that some people are selling their spots in fuel queues by uploading pictures, while charging money for this facility. According to reports, prices for this service would differ depending on the relevant position in the fuel queues, with higher prices being charged for spots towards the front. “This has become a daily income for many, as they stay in queues and sell the place at a certain price “ Speaking to The Morning, the Consumer Affairs Authority also admitted that certain incidents are taking place and Police should interfere more on these occasions. “Actually, we have unarmed officers on site, and there was a situation where some thugs were trying to assault our officers. We are trying our best to avoid these incidents with the limited workforce we have,” Meanwhile, underworld activities were also reported in several fuel stations, where staff and owners were threatened. When The Morning contacted Police Spokesperson, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and Attorney-at-Law (AAL) Nihal Thalduwa, he said that raids are being conducted related to black market fuel sales, and the public is advised to provide information in any such incident, including video recordings. He also said that so far, no underworld activity has been reported. However, police officers in filling stations are advised to provide details in such incidents, and if they cannot control the situation, orders have been given to inform senior officers, he added. “Around 1,350 filling stations are located islandwide and per shift, we have to deploy 2,700 police officers, which amounts to around 6,000 officers per day, which is difficult for the Police department, as our workforce is limited. “This began just before the shortage of fuel. Dealers started to fill gallons and water bottles with petrol and diesel. This was not for their personal use, but for resale. We located a group of dealers in the Panadura area, and are currently trying to trace the rest of the circle. Sadly, when this happens, people get used to such unfair dealings and don’t understand that they are doing wrong to many others by hoarding fuel,” Thalduwa said. He further added that people should inform the nearest police station of such black market rackets or call the 118/119 hotline and immediately inform the authorities, as black market dealings should not be encouraged.

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Black market fuel on the rise

Black market fuel on the rise

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