Organized Group Seized for Embezzling 2.24 Million Liters of Marine Oil Worth Over 1.8 Billion Won

A group that embezzled marine fuel supplied to foreign vessels and gained tens of billions of won in illegal profits has been handed over to the prosecution.

On the 24th, the Seoul Eunpyeong Police Station announced that it had arrested 36 people on charges of theft under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and embezzlement, and sent three of them to prosecution in custody on the 4th.

The group is accused of embezzling 2.24 million liters of marine fuel over 133 occasions from August 2021 to September last year, gaining illegal profits of 1.87 billion won.

According to the police investigation, Captain A of the refueling ship conspired with seller B to embezzle part of the bunker C fuel supplied to foreign vessels. The embezzled marine fuel was transported by tank lorry and stored at an illegal storage facility in Paju City operated by C, then sold. The group was found to have embezzled part of the bunker C fuel by not fully refueling the vessels during ship refueling.

The police identified the criminal activities of the group by analyzing the movement routes of the tank lorry vehicles and tracing the suspects' bank accounts. At the time of the police crackdown, it was confirmed that about 49,000 liters of marine fuel were stored in the illegal storage facility.

The police seized all the marine fuel and notified related organizations such as the Korea Petroleum Management Service about the potential environmental pollution issues that could arise if bunker C fuel is distributed on land. High-sulfur bunker C fuel containing more than 3% sulfur is banned from use on land due to concerns about air pollution.

The police stated, "We have also filed complaints with the relevant tax office to eradicate tax evasion related to the illegal distribution of marine fuel," and added, "We will strictly prosecute illegal fuel distribution activities."