Gas Station Alert: The Risk of Refueling with Adulterated Fuel and Solutions to Avoid It

The price of gasoline, a daily commodity for most Spaniards, continues to be a headache due to its constant upward fluctuations. In the search for cheaper fuel, many drivers turn to gas stations where the source of the fuel is uncertain.

The recent news of a service station in Alaquàs (Valencia) that was supplying gasoline adulterated with water, causing serious breakdowns in more than 50 vehicles, highlights a real and worrying problem.

The fraudulent practice of adulterating fuel—whether with water, tar, oil, or other substances—or of marketing illicit fuel (from tapped pipelines or smuggled fuel) without paying taxes not only damages engines but can also lead to increased pollution.

Fabián Torres, Business Development Director at SICPA Spain, warns that this unmonitored fuel can have negative consequences for both the vehicle and the environment.

Faced with this problem, the multinational company SICPA, a leader in anti-fraud solutions, has developed technology to combat fuel counterfeiting. Its system monitors fuel distribution to the gas station, identifying suspicious movements and cans that deviate from legal routes. It also has portable laboratories capable of performing fuel reliability tests on-site, at the service stations themselves.

"To prevent fraud, we use molecules called 'markers' that are introduced in proportions of parts per million into pipelines, tanker trucks, or jumbo tanks," explains Fabián Torres. These invisible, odorless, and impossible-to-replace markers are adapted to all types of hydrocarbons and do not harm either the engine or the environment. Thanks to portable laboratories, SICPA can analyze fuel samples in just two minutes, detecting whether it is diesel, tar, other substances, or 100% gasoline.

Fuel trade scams are widespread in Spain. Torres points to practices such as bunkering (illegal filling of offshore tanks) and tapping pipelines to obtain smuggled fuel. Another common fraud is the misuse of subsidized fuels, such as agricultural diesel, instead of conventional fuel. SICPA's technology, with its distinct markers, makes it possible to quickly detect these types of irregularities.

The tool developed by SICPA is presented as an effective solution to combat tax fraud and illicit fuel trade, especially in a context of rising prices that incentivizes fraudulent practices. "The more expensive the product, the greater the profits for fraudsters, especially in products with high tax rates," emphasizes Fabián Torres. SICPA's proposal seeks to put an end to these practices and protect both consumers and the legal fuel sector.