The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Gombe State on Wednesday sealed six filling stations for diversion of over 800,000 litres of petroleum product and operating with expired license.

Alhaji Abdullahi Abawa, DPR Head of Operation, disclosed this shortly after an inspection visit to some filling stations in Gombe.

The number of filling stations shut down so far in Gombe has risen to 17.

Eleven filling stations were sealed on Monday for sharp practices.

Abawa said that most of the affected stations were sealed for diversion of products, which they were not supposed to do so.

“We embarked on this inspection to ensure that the marketers abide by the rules and regulations.

“This season is critical, because if we don’t go out and check this marketers there will be a lot of problems.

“And it can lead to scarcity of the products and this is what we are running away from,” the DPR head of operation said.

According to him, those that were caught will be asked to pay a fine of N275 per litre or to return back the quantity they diverted.

Abawa advised fuel marketers in the state to always abide by the law for a successful business.