Fifty-seven million litres of fuel that did not reach oil depots in the southern province of Surat Thani were off-loaded from tankers to a fleet of small ships at sea, according to Justice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon Naowarat.
The minister said on Monday that an investigation revealed the missing fuel was unloaded from tankers to smaller vessels that made 96 trips.
The justice minister was speakng after being briefed by officials investigating alleged fuel hoarding during soaring prices caused by the war in the Middle East. The Department of Special Investigation is leading the investigation.
Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon said authorities had identified the various destinations of the missing 57 million litres of fuel, but had yet to identify the culprits. He did not name the destinations.
The justice minister said some fuel traders in the southern province of Surat Thani received and stored unusually large amounts of fuel in March. Authorities found high stocks of fuel at PC Siam Petroleum Co Ltd and other fuel trading companies, he said.
PC Siam Petroleum on Monday called a press conference and denied any impropriety.
Customs officials and police continued to check fuel stocks in Surat Thani on Monday while the Royal Thai Navy said vessels from its First and Second fleets would increase patrols in the Gulf of Thailand to prevent fuel being smuggled out of Thailand.
