A ring, whose members imported chemical solvents from Bulgaria, mixed them with fuel and then proceeded to further distribute them through two gas stations in areas of Attica, was dismantled by the Directorate of Economic Police.

For the case 3 members of the ring were arrested (60, 32 and 19 years old) and against them as well as against 8 other people, a case file was filed for – as the case may be – violations of the National Customs Code and the legislations for the regulation of the purchase of products and the provision of services as well as on competition.

In fact, the 60-year-old was spotted and arrested the evening before yesterday, Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at one of the petrol stations, at the moment he was supplying the station’s tank with chemical solvents, which he had previously supplied from the warehouse in Western Attica, while the 32-year-old accompanied the tanker on the way to the gas station.

It is noted that the missing taxes, duties and other charges are estimated at 43,897.39 euros.

Those arrested were taken to the competent prosecuting authority.

How the circuit worked

In the context of the police investigation, it was established that the specific ring imported chemical solvents from Bulgaria and transported them to a storage area in an area of ​​Western Attica.

There, a liquid fuel tanker was supplied with solvents and moved to a parking area in Western Attica, where it transferred the material to other tankers which then supplied two liquid fuel stations in areas of Attica.

Yes, in order not to detect the illegal chemical solvents it was found that a special electronic board had been madewhich prevented their registration in the input-output system monitored by the Independent Public Revenue Authority (A.A.D.E.), while the prescribed tax documents were not issued during the sale of counterfeit-smuggled fuel.

In this context, the A.A.D.E proceeded to seal the said gas station for falsifying the input-output system, while at the other gas station, the competent echelon of the Fuel Handling and Storage Control Directorate was called and samples were taken to examine the quality of the fuel.

In investigations carried out, among others, in the above warehouse and parking area, with the assistance of levels of the Customs Group Supervision, the Directorate of Political Quality and Metrology of the Ministry of Development and Investments, the Directorate of Fuel Traffic and Storage Control and the Economic Crime Prosecution Service (S. D.O.E.), were found and seized:

– 29,602 liters of chemical solvent mixture,
– 17,470 liters of liquid fuel (probably diesel), without documentary evidence of possession and handling,
– 4 tankers, 2 mounted tankers,
– ICHE, IHF tractor, flatbed truck
– 3 mobile phones,
– 23,355 euros,
– a number of plastic tanks, company seals and handwritten notes.