Customs, Fire Services Bust Seven Illegal Fuel Sites
HK01 · 3 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Customs and the Fire Services Department said a joint operation in the second half of September uncovered seven illegal fuel cases across the city, leading to the arrest of eight men and one woman aged 25 to 53. The operation targeted two illegal petrol storage depots in San Tin and Tuen Mun, as well as five illegal fuel refuelling sites in Kowloon Bay, Kwun Tong, Kam Tin, Kwai Chung and Tuen Mun. Officers seized more than 30,000 litres of illegal fuel, including over 16,000 litres of duty-unpaid petrol and 14,000 litres of diesel, together with eight vehicles, with the haul valued at about HK$1.7 million. Authorities said the investigation showed smuggled petrol was moved by cross-boundary vehicles to rural transfer points before being delivered by mobile vehicles to urban illegal filling points
Key Points
- Customs said five of the seven cases involved illegal petrol and two involved illegal diesel, with enforcement actions carried out between September 16 and 30.
- In San Tin and Tuen Mun, officers raided two rural metal-sheet depots on September 22 and 28, seizing about 12,000 litres of duty-unpaid petrol.
- At the San Tin site, Customs stopped a cross-boundary tractor unit unloading duty-unpaid petrol and arrested a 47-year-old male driver suspected of using a modified fuel tank for smuggling.
- Separate raids in Kowloon Bay, Kwun Tong and Kam Tin uncovered three illegal petrol stations, seized more than 4,000 litres of duty-unpaid petrol and led to six arrests, including customers
- Fire Services intercepted a truck in Kwai Chung carrying about 2,100 litres of suspected diesel and also broke up a Tuen Mun diesel station holding about 12,000 litres.
Why It Matters
Authorities said persistently high fuel prices were encouraging illegal traders to sell duty-unpaid petrol and tempting some motorists to buy it for small savings per litre. Customs and Fire Services warned that illegal fuel storage and refuelling in ordinary urban locations, often without proper ventilation or firefighting equipment, sharply increase the risk of fire, explosion, injuries and property damage