Jump in illegal refuelling complaints as Hong Kong grapples with rising oil prices

Illegal operators in Hong Kong have been converting vehicles into mobile refuelling points and posing risks to public safety, according to authorities, as they reported a 42 per cent jump in the average number of monthly complaints about illicit refuelling activities.

The Environment and Ecology Bureau also said on Friday it would meet with local fuel suppliers to ensure they were being transparent about pricing, while the Competition Commission expressed concerns over prices to four petrol firms.

The Fire Services Department said it received 221 complaints about illegal petrol stations in the first two months of the year, or roughly 111 per month – 42 per cent higher than the monthly average of 78 cases in 2025.

The department said prosecutions in January and February had risen even more sharply, increasing by 85 per cent over last year’s monthly average of 20 to 37, with illegal operators deploying tactics such as modifying vehicles for use as mobile refuelling points.

“Back in the day, it could be very large scale like a petrol station, but now the scale is smaller and it is scattered across different places. It could be places like cars and containers,” Divisional Officer Ng Wing-chit told a radio programme, adding that such methods made detection and enforcement more difficult.

As the Middle East war stretched into a second week, oil prices surged above US$100 a barrel, with Iran effectively shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply is transported.