Internal investigations at a major construction company in Casablanca uncovered the theft of “gasoil” from its construction sites.
This occurred after employees manipulated fuel supply receipts and exploitation documents related to trucks and machinery employed in construction to divert significant quantities of diesel from the sites to the black market.
Highly informed sources told Hespress Ar that gasoil smugglers from the construction sites exploited rooftops of buildings in Hay Hassani and Oulfa neighborhoods in Casablanca for storing significant quantities of this substance.
It was then sold upon demand, fetching a price not exceeding 11 MAD per liter, compared to 13 MAD at gas stations.
The perpetrators were able, in a short period, to attract customers, including urban transportation app drivers (VTC), taxis, and others.
The same sources affirmed that auditing exploitation documents within the company’s construction revealed that the remaining quantities of “gasoil” in the tanks of excavation, tiling, and transport equipment were dropped from the current expenses lists (Les dépenses courantes).
The investigations also revealed that the value of purchase invoices was inflated, as well as forging mission orders (Ordre de mission) to seize additional quantities of gasoil. These were well packed into small tanks equipped with funnels and used mineral water bottles to adjust the size of the quantities sold.
According to ongoing investigations, black market sales were facilitated through brokers with connections to urban transportation app drivers, private car rental agencies, and taxi owners.
Specific quantities were ordered via phone reservation, prepared, and delivered divided into separate liters, and packaged in large bags to avoid suspicion, especially as deliveries take place in popular neighborhoods.
The perpetrators managed to manipulate the gasoil distribution for months before being discovered by an external audit committee.
The company’s management hired a specialized firm to audit its workshop accounts, leading to the identification of several breaches.
Sources stressed the perpetrators’ focus on quality and price when selling the product on the black market, misleading customers into believing it was of higher quality than what was available at gas stations.
For context, the decree of February 22, 1973, concerning the import, export, refining, packaging, storage, and distribution of hydrocarbon materials, regulates the illegal trafficking and distribution of fuels.
It mandates administrative permission for all activities related to refining, packaging, importing, and distributing petroleum products.
It also imposes prison sentences and fines on violators, especially considering the risks associated with storing a substance like gasoil outside safety regulations for its subsequent sale on the black market.
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