Energy Minister Akanat Promphan has vowed to pursue the oil hoarding case to the very end after being questioned by People's Party MP Rangsiman Rome in parliament about an illicit network involved in oil exports and "grey capital".
During a meeting in the House of Representatives yesterday, Mr Rangsiman asked about the progress of the investigation into an illicit network connected to a prominent oil trader known as "Sia Tue".
The network is suspected of hoarding fuel, smuggling it to Cambodia and maintaining links with scam networks.
"Authorities are determined to identify those responsible," Mr Akanat told parliament.
He emphasised that missing or delayed fuel shipments are believed to involve coordinated operations and that the justice minister has pledged to expose those behind them.
He also acknowledged irregularities in a fuel hoarding case in Ang Thong province, adding that the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has already classified the case as a special case that falls under its responsibility.
Mr Akanat also said that his "Sud Soi" task force, led by former Bangkok MP Thitipas Chotidetchaichanan, will participate in the investigation by examining transport routes and information, reporting practices related to the case to find out whether they complied with the law.
Early findings suggest links between the Ang Thong depot and multiple other storage sites nationwide.
"The Sud Soi team will probe all connections among these oil storage facilities and [ensure] that all losses will be forwarded to the DSI for further investigation," Mr Akanat said.
Since last month, over 100 violations by licensed fuel traders have been identified, involving shipments from storage facilities in eastern provinces to the South.
Meanwhile, the DSI provided an update on the progress in its probe into suspicious maritime fuel transport, revealing that five out of eight ship operators involved in the case have been interrogated.
Of 99 recorded trips, 20 showed unusual patterns, involving 12 vessels from these companies, it said.
Investigators noted delayed routes, shutdowns of mobile phone signal and possible mid-sea fuel transfers, it said.
An estimated 57 million to 60 million litres of fuel may have gone missing during shipments to Surat Thani province, it added.
