Police seize nearly 9,000 liters of suspected jet fuel in northern province

They made a surprise check of a tanker on National Highway 5A in early March and found some unknown fuel in two of its three tanks.

Tran Manh Tien, the driver and co-owner of the fuel, failed to produce papers showing origin and told the police he had bought the fuel from “a stranger” to sell to gas stations.

Tests have proved it is not gasoline, authorities said, adding they believe it is jet fuel.

According to website Dan Tri News, there had been complaints to authorities about fuel pilferage at a local depot belonging to the Military Petroleum Corporation.

Authorities suspect the seized fuel might have been stolen from the military depot for selling in the retail market.

Experts said if aviation fuel, which has much higher octane content than the popular A95gasoline, is used in a car or motorbike, it would leave behind a lot of lead in the engine and also block the oxygen supply. The engine would be damaged even if it is used for a short while.

In February scores of cars in several southern provinces reportedly broke down with damaged fuel supply systems, causing billions of dong worth of losses.

Fuel giant Petrolimex later admitted there had been an unusually large amount of impurities in a batch of its A95 gasoline.

Investigations are continuing.