The diversion of fuel, a new source of income for the Martissant gangs

For more than a week around the Varreux terminal, at Cité Soleil, several fuel tankers have been intercepted and hijacked by heavily armed men, deplores Marc Antoine Nési, spokesperson for the National Association of Service Station Owners (ANAPROSS). In the week of October 4-9, 2021 alone at least 5 tankers of petroleum products were hijacked by gangs who found a very lucrative new market there.

This situation of insecurity tends to further complicate the scarcity of fuel at the pumps for the consumer, the private sector facing increasing risks is increasingly reluctant to want to distribute fuel to service stations.

Marc Antoine Nési, warns that the owners of gas stations could soon suspend their activities if nothing is done to put the armed bandits out of harm’s way, in order to guarantee a minimum of security.

In some cases the fuel is sold on the black market at gang-controlled sites, in other cases the gangs negotiate a ransom to return the fuel, the truck and its driver.