Vietnamese jet fuel thieves sell cleaning burning aviation petrol

THE CEO of Aviation Petrol Co. (Vinapco) in Vietnam has admitted that a number of his staff and tanker drivers are suspected of stealing "white gas", an aviation fuel popular among locals selling it on the black market in Ho Chi Minh City.

In an interview with Tuoi Tre newspaper, Hoang Manh Tuan, said he does not have enough evidence to bring them to justice.

According to Mr Tuan, Vinapco has been clamping down on such illegal activities by tightening control to minimise fraud in petrol transport. "However, whenever we loosen our control, they are active again," he said.

The company is reported to have imposed penalties on a number of staff, including admonition and dismissal. He also revealed that staff who correctly tip company managers about petrol fraud activities would be rewarded.

The newspaper said that its investigation revealed airport staff stole aviation fuel, or "white gas" as it is called or "jet oil", selling it to dealers in Ho Chi Minh City often leading to Tan Son Nhat airport.

It said the imported white gas fetches higher prices than other types of petrol, and yet is sold illegally at prices lower than regular petrol. A litre of white gas is said to cost VND24,000 (US$12) in the Tan Binh district of the city, some of which is supplied to petrol stations illegally.

A local in the Bach Dang-Hong Ha area, who often buys white gas in bulk, was quoted as saying: "I often see tankers drop cans of white gas where dealers are waiting. From midnight to before dawn, a lot of bikers loaded with cans roam the streets, which are patrolled.

He added, "Previously, tankers would pull up and have the gas pumped out. Now they pump the gas into cans before selling them to dealers to save time."

Hoa, a white gas retail seller in district 4, said: "Though white gas costs some VND3,000 a litre more than DO oil, people favour it over conventional fuel as it emits no smoke or odour and produces intense, extended heat," she said.