Padma Oil investigates suspected diversion of 72,000L jet fuel
ATT Desk Report 
An investigation has been launched into the suspected theft of 72,000 litres of jet fuel during transportation from Narayanganj to Dhaka, officials confirmed.
State-owned fuel distributor Padma Oil Company PLC has formed a specialised investigation team to examine the incident, which allegedly occurred while the fuel was being transported from its depot in Godnail to the Kurmitola Aviation Depot, located near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The investigation team visited the Kurmitola facility on Saturday morning to inspect CCTV footage, verify fuel stock levels and question depot officials and employees.
The probe is being led by Md Shafiul Azam, Deputy General Manager (Audit) and Head of Internal Audit and Compliance at Padma Oil.
Other members of the team include Peyar Ahammed, Manager (Operations), and KM Abdur Rahim, an engineering officer.
According to company sources, investigators reviewed surveillance recordings from various locations inside the depot and cross-checked them with footage obtained from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh in an effort to trace the movement of the fuel tankers.
Officials also carried out physical measurements of fuel stored at the depot and examined vehicle entry records.
Sources said at least four tank lorries carrying jet fuel departed from the Godnail depot on 11 March for delivery to the Kurmitola aviation facility.
However, the vehicles reportedly failed to reach their destination, despite paperwork suggesting the delivery had been completed.
The tankers involved in the incident were registered as 41-0700, 42-0252, 41-0649 and 41-0698.
Investigators are now attempting to reconstruct the routes taken by the vehicles and verify depot entry logs to determine whether the tankers actually arrived at the facility.
Officials suspect the fuel may have been diverted and sold illegally.
Jet fuel is primarily used for aircraft operations, but industry sources note that its comparatively lower price sometimes leads to illegal practices, such as mixing it with automotive fuels like octane and selling it in the open market.
Padma Oil officials said the investigation is continuing and a preliminary report is expected within the next few days. Further action will be taken once the findings of the probe are finalised.
