The Meegoda Police have started investigations to arrest two officers of the Distribution Department of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) allegedly involved in smuggling fuel stocks under the guise of orders received from factories in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone and selling them at higher prices.
Information about these two officials has been revealed after a bowser with 6,600 liters of diesel which was brought to sell at black market prices in the Meegoda area was detained. The driver and assistant of the Bowser and two others involved in the racket too were arrested.
Investigations conducted in this regard show that this racket has been successfully carried out since the fuel shortage occurred throughout the country.
Taking into account the priority given in issuing fuel to the factories in the free trade zone, orders were forged using the names of the factories and the fuel stocks obtained from Muturajawela were smuggled out in the fuel bowsers. The stock of fuel seized by the Meegoda Police was also purchased in the name of a factory in the Free Trade Zone and police stated that the stock of fuel purchased was 13,200 liters.
Police investigations have revealed that a part of the fuel stock was unloaded at a Ja-Ela farm and the remaining 6,600 was brought to Meegoda to be sold at black market prices. Police have also recorded a statement in this regard from a manager of the factory concerned in the Free Trade Zone. The manager has stated that his company has not placed an order for the said amount of fuel on that day. It has been found that the stock of fuel has been unloaded at the Ja-Ela farm too at a higher price. The Police are investigating.
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