30 liters of contraband gasoline from Poland seized

Marigliano – Thirty thousand liters of contraband gasoline were being smuggled onto the roads of the Naples area under the false guise of "brake fluid." This is the ruse uncovered by officers from the Naples Provincial Command of the Guardia di Finanza during an economic inspection of the area in Marigliano, which culminated in the seizure of a semi-trailer and the filing of charges against two people.

The halt to the truck and the first suspicions

The two drivers, both Polish, were betrayed by the erratic driving of the tractor-trailer with foreign license plates as they were traveling through the Nola area. Observing the heavy vehicle's suspicious maneuvers, the Nola Group's financial police decided to stop and immediately inspect the vehicle. Thirty rigid plastic containers (IBCs), each with a capacity of 30 liters, were located in the cargo area of ​​the tractor-trailer.

When asked for travel documents (CMR), the two men on board produced documents certifying the transport of brake fluid: a type of goods not subject to the strict tax regulations that govern energy products and the payment of related excise duties.

The “Designer Fuel” Scam

However, the explanation provided and the transportation method did not convince the Guardia di Finanza (Fiamme Gialle), who decided to conduct in-depth chemical and physical tests on the liquid contained in the tanks. The analyses revealed the true nature of the cargo: not brake fluid, but a mixture of hydrocarbons with characteristics entirely similar to gasoline, classified in technical jargon as "Designer Fuel."

A ploy designed to circulate fuel on the parallel market in complete tax evasion, bypassing customs controls and state excise duties and then reselling it at speculative prices.

Seizure and reports to the Nola Prosecutor's Office

Having confirmed the fraud, the financial police seized both the semi-trailer and the entire cargo of 30.000 liters of hydrocarbons. The two Polish citizens were reported at large to the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Nola. The alleged crime is that envisaged by Article 40 of the Consolidated Law on Excise Duties (Legislative Decree no. 504/95), which punishes the evasion of assessment or payment of the tax on energy products. The case is currently in the preliminary investigation phase. In accordance with the constitutional principle of presumption of innocence, the suspects' liability will be determined only upon a final conviction.