In Ukraine, the fight against the sale of fake fuel continues, which not only harms cars, but also poses a serious threat to the economy and the safety of citizens. Law enforcement officers of the Chernivtsi region stopped the activities of a criminal group that sold fakes at 11 gas stations (gas stations), adding gas condensate and additives to A-95 gasoline to increase the volume of fuel without changing its price. This criminal business extended not only to Chernivtsi region, but also to Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyi.
This counterfeit product entering the market was manufactured in several regions. In particular, in the Kyiv region, law enforcement officers closed an illegal gas station that sold gasoline and diesel fuel without proper documents and quality certificates, and in Transcarpathia, in Mukachevo, they produced counterfeit types of fuel. The Lviv region attracts special attention, where at the beginning of autumn, the largest number of illegal gas stations was recorded - 98. This is 23% of all such points of sale of fake fuel in the country.
Such illegal gas stations not only violate laws, but also undermine the country's economy. The sale of counterfeit fuel harms the competitiveness of legal market participants, reduces tax revenues, and also poses a serious threat to citizens and the surrounding infrastructure.
What awaits a car if it is filled with fake fuel? The consequences can be extremely negative. Poor quality fuel can lead to the destruction of the filter and fuel pump, which requires significant repair costs. One of the methods of falsification is the reduction of the octane number, which leads to uneven combustion of fuel in the engine. Another method is to artificially increase the octane number by adding alcohols and ethers, which can cause additional fuel consumption and even the formation of air jams in the fuel supply system, especially in hot weather.
Aromatic hydrocarbons, which are also added to the fuel, can significantly increase the amount of soot, as well as cause damage to the filter in the tank, fuel system tubes and seals.
