Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
In an unprecedented incident, the Directorate of Supply and Internal Trade in Matrouh Governorate, in cooperation with the Supply Investigations Department, arrested a man who had set up a fake fuel station to sell smuggled gasoline and diesel. Authorities seized 10 tons of petroleum products.
According to a statement by the directorate, the suspect had built the station himself in Village 27 in the Banger El-Sokkar area. Using a makeshift design that mimicked the appearance of official stations, he even placed a counterfeit logo of a major petroleum company to create the illusion of legitimacy. He then openly sold smuggled fuel to the public, as if the station were officially licensed.
During the raid, the man was caught at the site, and around 10 tons of diesel and 80-octane gasoline were confiscated. The fuel was being sold illegally, without meeting any storage standards or safety requirements constituting a serious violation of Law No. 102 of 2015 regulating the circulation of petroleum products.
According to supply sources, the man had been collecting smuggled fuel and storing it at the site, then fueling vehicles daily without any license or technical oversight.
The case surprised residents of the area, especially since the station was operating in the heart of an agricultural zone, far from any infrastructure suitable for such an activity. Authorities had received intelligence about an unlicensed facility selling fuel, prompting a joint operation involving the Supply Department in El-Hamam and the Supply Inspection Department.
The Directorate confirmed that an official report had been filed, and the suspect was referred to the Public Prosecution, which began investigations to uncover the sources of the smuggled fuel and the full scale of the illegal operation.
Officials emphasized that the incident poses a direct threat to supply security and public safety and highlights the need to review monitoring mechanisms in remote areas that may be exploited for such activities.
This operation is part of the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade’s broader efforts to combat illegal trading in petroleum products, ensure subsidies reach their rightful beneficiaries, and maintain the stability of the official distribution system.
