Made bootleg fuel and sold it as diesel: an organized crime group will stand trial in Bukovina

 In Bukovina, members of an organized crime group who manufactured and sold counterfeit fuel will stand trial. The pre-trial investigation was completed by detectives from the Territorial Office of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine in the Chernivtsi region.

The investigation established that the suspects made low-quality fuel from cheap components. They sold it as diesel through gas stations and a so-called “mobile” fueling station.

A local businessman organized the illegal activity and brought three accomplices into the scheme. They were responsible for buying and transporting components, making the fake fuel, and selling it.

The raw materials were purchased from an oil depot and delivered to an underground oil warehouse in a village in the Chernivtsi district. That is where they made the low-quality fuel. Later, they sold the counterfeit product through gas stations and a modified minibus, which they used as a so-called “mobile” fueling station.

In total, the members of the organized group made and sold over 177,000 liters of fuel. The estimated value of the products is around 8 million UAH.

During authorized searches, detectives seized 30,000 liters of fuel, vehicles, a tank truck, equipment for pumping petroleum products, and documents.

The expert analysis confirmed that the seized fuel and lubricants did not meet state standard requirements.

The members of the organized group are accused of the illegal manufacture, storage, and sale of excise goods (Part 3 of Article 28 and Parts 1 and 2 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The organizer is also accused of money laundering (Part 1 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Operational support was provided by officers from the Strategic Investigations Department in the Chernivtsi region of the National Police of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine in the Chernivtsi region.

Please note that according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.