Economic Security Bureau has shut down underground petrol production operation: 233,000 litres of counterfeit petrol worth 50 million hryvnias have been seized. PHOTO
The Economic Security Bureau has uncovered a group of individuals who organised the illegal production and sale of counterfeit fuel in the Kirovohrad and Dnipropetrovsk regions. During searches, law enforcement officers seized 233,000 litres of a liquid resembling petrol, with the total value of the seized property amounting to approximately 50 million hryvnias.
According to Censor.NET, citing the Economic Security Bureau, the illegal operation was active throughout 2026.
According to the investigation, the suspects used specialised equipment to mix components of unknown origin and produce a fuel blend. The resulting fuel did not meet state quality standards.
According to the investigation, the counterfeit product was sold through controlled petrol stations in the Kirovohrad and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
During the investigation, ESB detectives seized 233,000 litres of a strongly odourous liquid resembling petrol, 25 tonnes of stable gas condensate, 24 tonnes of multi-purpose diluent, as well as mobile phones, accounting records, copies of business documents, draft records and other material evidence.
According to estimates by the Economic Security Bureau (ESB), the total value of the seized property amounts to around 50 million hryvnias. A pre-trial investigation is ongoing and all individuals involved in the illegal activities are being identified.
The Economic Security Bureau also reported that in March this year, it shut down ten illegal petrol stations in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Poltava regions.
