Written by: Basant El-Farmawy
The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) announced the results of intensive inspection campaigns carried out by the Central Committee for Monitoring Petroleum Products Trading during the month of September. These campaigns, coordinated with supply directorates and security agencies, included thwarting attempts to smuggle and steal gasoline and diesel, and detecting incidents of fraud and manipulation in fuel quantities allocated to citizens.
Detecting violations in fuel stations and governorates
The campaigns succeeded in uncovering manipulation at a fuel station in Asyut Governorate through tampering with refueling nozzles, leading to a shortage in the quantities received by consumers. Inventory operations revealed the seizure of about 2,000 liters of fuel in one day, which necessitated sealing the pumps and taking necessary legal measures in coordination with the Hallmarking and Weights Authority.
In Aswan Governorate, the committee was able to track a transport vehicle loaded with 6 tons of 92-octane gasoline for smuggling purposes, where the vehicle and its driver were apprehended in the El-Sibaiyah ambush. The campaigns also spotted two transport vehicles that had been modified by adding tanks not connected to the engine to be used for collecting diesel from stations and smuggling it; they were impounded at the governorate's garage.
Monitoring thefts and unsafe practices on desert roads
In the desert hinterland of Sohag Governorate, a tanker driver was caught attempting to steal part of the fuel shipment being transported to Luxor. In another incident on the Cairo-Aswan Western Desert Road, the committee spotted a tanker driver transporting fuel from Sohag to Aswan lighting a stove inside one of the vehicle's compartments, which posed a grave risk that could lead to a fire or explosion.
The campaigns also revealed a fuel station in Dakahlia collecting petroleum products illegally and selling them through connections extended to the rear wall of the station. These efforts resulted in filing reports against a number of stations in the governorates of Damietta, Asyut, and Aswan for trading about 48,223 liters of petroleum products illegally.
Comprehensive reviews to ensure operational safety
In a related context, the committee reviewed about 183 fuel stations distributed across 13 governorates, where some violations related to operational and safety requirements were detected, and marketing companies were notified to rectify them immediately. The committee also handled a complaint via the Government Complaints System regarding a fuel station in Cairo, where the inspection included checking tanks, water ratios, chemical analyses, and examining surveillance cameras to ensure the rights of citizens.
