Instead of petrol, a mixture of unknown origin: ESBU exposes underground production of counterfeit fuel

 Detectives of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine have exposed the activities of a group of individuals who organized the illegal production and sale of counterfeit fuel across the Kirovohrad and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Property worth approximately UAH 50 million was seized.

The investigation established that throughout 2026, the suspects organized an illicit fuel production operation. For this purpose, they used specialized equipment to mix components of unknown origin to produce a finished fuel mixture.

The products manufactured this way failed to meet state quality standards and were subsequently sold through controlled gas stations in the Kirovohrad and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

As part of the criminal proceedings, ESBU detectives conducted a series of authorized searches at the sites of production, storage, and sale of the illicitly manufactured fuel.

Based on the results of the searches, detectives seized 233,000 liters of a liquid with a pungent odor similar to gasoline, 25 tons of stable gas condensate, and 24 tons of multi-functional thinner. They also confiscated mobile phones, accounting documentation, copies of business operation documents, rough notes, and other material evidence.

The total value of the seized property amounts to approximately UAH 50 million.

Currently, the full circle of individuals involved in the illegal activity is being established. The pretrial investigation is ongoing.

Operational support was provided by employees of the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police of Ukraine, with the assistance of the State Tax Service of Ukraine. Procedural oversight is conducted by prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General.

In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court's guilty verdict.