Interior Ministry: Dismantling of a network involved in stealing diesel and reselling it domestically

The Ministry of Interior announced today the arrest of 41 suspects and the seizure of 38 vehicles following the dismantling of a network involved in stealing diesel from vehicles belonging to government entities and private companies, and then collecting and reselling it to projects within the country.

In a press statement, the Ministry said that investigations and follow-up by the General Directorate of Criminal Investigations revealed that several drivers had appropriated quantities of diesel from vehicles assigned to them in the course of their duties, without the knowledge of their employers, and transported them to a site in the Umghara area to sell and collect the fuel in dedicated tankers.

The investigations further showed that a Kuwaiti national provided the tankers used to extract and collect the diesel in exchange for a monthly payment of 1,600 Kuwaiti dinars under a “contracting” arrangement, fully aware that they were being used for illicit activities.

After completing investigative procedures and monitoring the site, the main suspects were apprehended in flagrante delicto while extracting diesel from one of the vehicles, and two other suspects were arrested while purchasing the collected quantities.

The statement clarified that the stolen diesel was sold at a rate of 90 dinars per thousand liters, then collected in tankers and resold to other suspects at 115 dinars per thousand liters, before being sold to projects within the country at 130 dinars per thousand liters, plus transportation and delivery commissions.