Dwayne Mcleod, Staff Reporter

Thanks to some motorists who complain about the high cost of gas, the operation of illegal gas stations continues to be a thriving and lucrative business venture.

THE STAR recently went on an undercover probe into the operations of three illegal stations, two of which are located in Greenwich Town and the other in a section of eastern Kingston.

The stations, equipped with old drums, buckets and non-functioning gas pumps, serve clientele including just about anyone desirous of purchasing cheap gas.

"Any an' everybody come buy gas ya so, uptown, downtown, roun town, you name dem. From regular people to lawyer, all police," an 'attendant' said.

The attendant's claim was found to hold much truth as, upon visiting the stations, THE STAR under the guise of a taxi driver spoke with individuals identifying themselves as pro-fessionals, owners of large and small businesses, among others.

At one outlet, one buyer who was in a long line of motorists waiting to purchase the illegal commodity, identified himself as an accountant and acknowledged that the gas from the illegal stations is cheaper, which justified his patronage. He also said that he cannot afford to buy elsewhere.

Based on the equipment used in serving the petrol, the actual charge per litre of gas at these stations could not be determined. However, one attendant at one of the stations in Greenwich Town was quick to assure that the station does indeed enjoy high weekly sales, hence big profits.

"Business a gwaan nice as usual. Everybody a complain seh gas price a get wicked suh dem jus come ya so cause we well cheap," the attendant said. He further added that the outlet which operates six days per week and earns between $100,000 and $180,000 per day, charges $520 per bucket of 87 octane (regular gas) and $600 per bucket of 90 octane (premium gas).

At a second outlet, business is equally vibrant and motorists patiently waited their turn to make their purchase, undeterred by the area's reputation as a war zone.

"I prefer waiting for a few minutes to save a few dollars than to go to a station where I may get served quickly but can't afford to save anything," a female buyer said.

Police attached to these areas admitted that there have been multiple attempts to clamp down on the operation of these stations but after a period of inactivity, they soon continue operations.

One senior officer who asked to remain anonymous explained to THE STAR that the issue of clamping down on illegal stations is 'sensitive' and can only be solved with the assistance of persons with legitimate interests in the petroleum trade.

"Operations can only be suc-cessfully strangled for good when the corresponding regulators and businesses of the petroleum trade put in tighter safeguards to stifle the back door siphoning of gas, re-routed from legitimate suppliers, to service stations," the officer said.