Diesel stolen from Beijing Auto Show, resold for profit  

This undated photo shows an oil tank hits the road after diesel is uploaded at a Sinopec oil station.

(ECNS) – The Beijing Auto Show isn't just about cars. Some people are stealing diesel and reselling it for a profit.

Unlike other venues, E5 gets power from 21 diesel generators. Exhibitors have to pay Sinopec (state-owned oil giant) in advance for the diesel at a rate of 8,680 yuan ($1,400) per ton.

E5 hosts several brands under Volkswagen, including Volkswagen China, Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche, Audi and Skoda.

The first 20 tons of diesel were transported to the venue in early April, during the exhibit's construction. By April 17, oil tanks had drawn over 100 tons of diesel from Sinopec.

Some oil tanks were found to be uploading diesel at Sinopec's oil stations and downloading directly at other oil stations, with only part of the oil being transported to the exhibit.

On April 18, exhibitors purchased another 150 tons, of which 40 tons were supposedly sent to E5 the same day. However, half of that was pulled to a private gas station in Baiziwan in Beijing's Chaoyang District. In the following days, huge amounts of diesel were resold.

Volkswagen China made the biggest prepayment of over 3.11 million yuan (about $500,000) for the diesel. Lamborghini paid the least, about 400,000 yuan ($64,000).

An insider said usually auto makers make estimates on how much diesel is needed. The way they calculate the amount relies on power usage figures from the previous show, which isn't necessarily a good reference, as it was longer than this year's.

Moreover, no exhibitors or power suppliers overlook the pickup and transmission of the diesel. Trucks work only at night and are extremely cautious about being followed.

It's unknown yet who's behind the scheme and how much money is involved. Jinghua Times will be following the story to get updates.