Ground crew at Tan Son Nhat Airport have been arrested in connection with the theft of thousands of litres of aviation fuel amid a crackdown by the Minister of Transport Dinh, La Thang, on baggage and cargo theft at airports.
Employees at Tan Son Nhat Airport arrested for fuel theft
The arrests came after a month-long investigation by HCM City's Criminal Police Department into large amounts of Jet A1 fuel being sold on the open market. The commercial aviation fuel was stolen from tankers after flights were refuelled, and shipped out of the airport under the cover of routine maintenance work.
The fuel was then diluted with diesel and sold. Police determined a group of airport employees was involved in the organised theft from Jetstar Pacific Airlines.
Cans containing thousands litres of fuel were seized and police arrested Tran Van Suu, the owner of a petroleum storage facility, along with four airport employees and two fuel brokers. Up to 900 litres of fuel a day was stolen in an operation believed to have been going on for at least two years. Aviation fuel costs VND370,000 (USD17.6) per 30 litres.
Suu is alleged to have mixed the fuel with diesel and sold it around HCM City and neighbouring provinces.
Two drivers from Vietnam Air Petrol Company, the biggest supplier for Vietnam's airports, were also arrested this morning, January 30.
Refueling aircraft at Tan Son Nhat Airport
Police allege the drivers working at Tan Son Nhat Airport drove to the perimeter where fuel was pumped into a waiting truck. The drivers were caught by officials of the Southern Airport Authority using a 100m tube to transfer the fuel. Police at Ward 2 in Tan Binh District were called.
Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam deputy director Dao Van Chuong said supervision and security had been tighetened at airports to prevent theft.
