The Guardia Civil has seized more than 1,000 litres of petrol allegedly being stored illegally by a boat and jet-ski rental company in La Manga del Mar Menor.
The fuel was reportedly being used to refill the company’s fleet directly at its moorings, allowing the operator to avoid taking the vessels to an authorised filling station.
The discovery was made during Operation Finexego, an investigation conducted by the Guardia Civil’s Fiscal and Border Patrol unit based in Cabo de Palos.
Officers began investigating after receiving information that the San Javier-based company could be storing large quantities of fuel without the necessary controls or safety measures.
Following a series of surveillance operations, officers allegedly observed boats and jet skis being manually refuelled at the company’s pontoon.
Further inspections uncovered numerous petrol containers inside a van parked beside the jetty. Larger containers were also reportedly stored in a nearby garage.
Officers discovered what they described as a makeshift “floating petrol station” concealed inside a storage chest within the pontoon’s flotation area.
The installation was allegedly being used to supply petrol directly to the company’s fleet without the boats and jet skis having to travel to authorised marine fuel stations.
Some of the containers and tanks had been fitted with hoses, filling nozzles and fuel-pump-style handles, allowing petrol to be transferred directly into the vessels.
The inspection established that the business owner did not hold a licence from the regional Directorate-General for Industry and Mines authorising the storage of fuel or the refuelling of boats at the site.
More than 1,000 litres of petrol were subsequently confiscated.
The company owner has been reported for suspected breaches of Spain’s Industry Law and Murcia’s Integrated Environmental Protection Law.
According to the Guardia Civil, the premises also lacked an appropriate fire-protection system, despite the substantial quantity of highly flammable fuel being stored and handled there.
The case has been referred to the relevant authorities, which will decide whether financial or other administrative penalties should be imposed.
