AdvertisementAdvertisementEast AsiaHandout photo taken on Mar 20, 2026 shows motor spirit containers seized at an illegal fuel storage site during an anti-illicit fuel operation in Hong Kong. (Photo: Hong Kong Information Services Department/AFP)11 Apr 2026 11:38AM Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInAdd CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.Read a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST HONG KONG: Hong Kong saw a "sharp rise" in illegal fuel trading last month, officials told AFP on Friday (Apr 10), as surging global oil prices put pressure on the import-dependent financial hub.The semi-autonomous city lacks its own refineries and imports its entire supply of automotive fuel, with much of it coming from neighbouring mainland China.Prices at Hong Kong's filling stations are the world's most expensive, creating an incentive for smugglers to transport cheaper fuel illegally across the border into the city.Hong Kong fire service officials said they had observed a "sharp rise in... complaints" related to illicit fuelling activities, receiving 154 of them in March, about 40 per cent more than the average over the previous two months.Customs authorities seized nearly 19,500 litres of illicit fuel last month, more than the total amount confiscated in January and February.Law enforcement officers searching a vehicle carrying illicit fuel during an operation in Hong Kong. (Hong Kong's Information Services Department/AFP)Makeshift petrol stations with inadequate facilities are "posing intolerable risks to public safety", fire officials said.Smugglers were increasingly modifying seven-seater cars and light goods vehicles, and disguising them for use as mobile fuelling stations, they said.Authorities said they were using robots and X-ray scanners at the border with mainland China to deter smuggling and had deployed aerial drones for surveillance.The retail price of standard petrol reached about HK$32.40 (US$4.14) per litre in Hong Kong this week, according to the city's Consumer Council.Authorities launched temporary measures on Thursday, including a subsidy for diesel-powered public transport, to cushion the impact of soaring fuel costs.CNA Explains: Why Asia will bear the economic brunt of the Iran warMalaysia ramps up border crackdown on subsidised fuel, controlled goods as energy crunch bitesSource: AFP/iaNewsletterWeek in ReviewSubscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in ReviewOur chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.Sign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST