In Belgium, diesel fraud has increased two times more than the last year. As per the information provided by the FPS Finance representative Francis Adyns, most of the Belgian customers has reported the incident that has been raised during the traffic stops.
As the cost of fuel is increasing in entire Europe, the cases of fraud are also increasing.
Along with this, the Fraudsters are filling the cars with red diesel. This deliberately dyed low-tax fuel is intended for use in agricultural equipment, generators, as well as home heating.
Moreover, the roadside of police officials stops in 2021 has roughly 6.5 percent of the motorists (1,807) checked by police drivers were fined for illegally filling up the vehicle with the cheap fuel. The Drivers caught misusing the red diesel are subject to a €500 fine.
According to FPS Finance, the increase in the figures has been noticed in this current year. The price of diesel has surpassed €2 per litre in March, leading some motorists to find cheaper methods to fuel their cars.
The government has also started to crack down on repeat offenders.
Adyns mentioned, “Last year, we integrated previous infractions into the database so that potential repeat offenders can be pulled over with automatic license plate scanners.”
On the other hand, to crack down on the large-scale diesel fraud, the customs officials are now checking with the petrol stations to end organized schemes.
Recently, a police investigation was held to put an end to a €420,000 fuel card fraud in Belgium and other European nations. The individuals who use the fraudulent fuel cards fill up the trucks and pay for the toll charges.
