(MENAFN- Arab Times) The Public Prosecution has started its investigations regarding the attempt to smuggle 500,000 liters of subsidized diesel out of the country, which was foiled by the Financial Crime Unit in the General Department for Criminal Investigations. According to security sources, police detectives initiated investigations and surveillance operations on the smuggling operation after receiving information about a Kuwaiti citizen who had leased an industrial plot to store diesel mixed with a small amount of used oil.
The Kuwaiti suspect, with the help of four Arab nationals and an unidentified individual, bought used oil from vehicle agents and garages, which he then stored in containers inside his leased plot.
Customs declaration documents were forged for shipping subsidized diesel and tested samples were sent to the Kuwait Petroleum Company under the pretext of being burnt oil, which is legal to export.
After this, he would smuggle the diesel through customs to other parts of the world, where he sells it for double the price.
With the cooperation of General Customs Department and the Kuwait Petroleum Cooperation, 20 containers holding 500,000 liters of diesel were confiscated while they were being smuggled through Shuwaikh Port.
Some tests were conducted on the diesel in the containers to discover that it was subsidized substance that was not allowed for export.
Three individuals have been arrested while two others are being pursued. Meanwhile, the official spokesperson of Kuwait Petroleum Cooperation Khaled Al-Asousi denied the news that was published in a local newspaper.
He explained that the Public Prosecution has summoned the local marketing director of the company to hear his testimony regarding the diesel smuggling case and how the perpetrators managed to get hold of the export clearance of what was assumed to be burnt oil without checking its contents.
He affirmed that the Kuwait Petroleum Cooperation is not the authority responsible for issuing such clearance, insisting that the company always cooperates with every concerned government bodies to stop smuggling of diesel and provides necessary aid and support concerning this issue
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