Operation against hydrocarbon fraud

• An activity centre dedicated to the sale of adulterated fuels has been intervened, where diesel and medium or light oils were mixed, to be sold as 'low cost' fuel.

• Two people, of Italian and Spanish nationality, arrested, charged with crimes against the Public Treasury, falsification of documents and against consumers

• The hydrocarbon centre had several depots where they received diesel and oil from Central Europe, where they made the necessary mixtures to be sold as fuel at a low price.

February 21, 2025.- Customs Surveillance officials of the Tax Agency in Castilla la Mancha, in the operation known as 'Pizzaoil', have dismantled a corporate network dedicated to the adulteration of fuels and tax fraud of the Special Tax on Hydrocarbons that had already extended its actions to Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Madrid, Andalusia and Valencia and that could have committed fraud valued at more than 350,000 euros.

The investigated organization based its activity on the adulteration and wholesale sale of general-purpose diesel fuel, which they increased by a high percentage in volume with products from Tariff 2 of the Special Tax, specifically with recycled oils and other hydrocarbons exempt from the tax because they were not intended to be used as fuels or combustibles. Its sales were aimed at service stations and transporters as major consumers.

The introduction of cheaper products than diesel and the tax fraud they committed had allowed them to offer unbeatable prices and, consequently, rapid commercial expansion, to the detriment not only of the Public Treasury but also of other traders in the sector and the consumers themselves.

In just four months of activity they had managed to put on the market more than 2,300,000 litres adulterated with more than 920,000 litres of base oils from different countries, generating a fraud of the Special Tax on Hydrocarbons of more than 350,000 euros.

Registrations and account blocking

The operation was launched on February 4, with the entry and judicial search of the organization's activity center in Quintanar de la Orden. During the search, the deposits and their contents were sealed after samples were taken, and several telephone terminals and various paper and computer documentation were seized, all of which are pending analysis. The entry and registration was carried out with the collaboration of a Computer Audit Unit of the Financial and Tax Inspection of the Tax Agency.

In order to ensure financial accountability and guarantee the effects of the crime, four bank accounts were also blocked and a tanker truck was seized.

Two of the five people under investigation were arrested as responsible for the events and charged with two crimes against the Treasury, forgery of documents and against consumers. One of them, an Italian national, was brought to court.

The Regional Customs Surveillance Areas of Andalusia, Castile and León, Madrid and Valencia have also collaborated in the actions.

Investigations are still ongoing, and new arrests and charges for fraud and damage to numerous vehicles caused by unauthorized mixtures are not ruled out.