Arrest in illegal gas sale case

A man has been arrested on suspicion of operating an illegal gas business, say prosecutors in Qingpu District.

The suspect, surnamed Zhang, was detained in early June in Qingpu while driving a truck loaded with more than 100 empty liquid gas cylinders. According to prosecutors, he was filling up the cylinders in nearby cities and then selling them in Shanghai.

An investigation found that Zhang had run a liquid gas station in Qingpu, but his business license was revoked after an explosion in July 2016. But that was not the end of his gas dealings, prosecutors said.

In August 2016, Zhang allegedly obtained empty cylinders from a local supply company and then became engaged in cross-provincial gas trade. He sold gas worth more than 800,000 yuan (US$117,208) and more than 500 empty cylinders were seized by police, prosecutors said.

At the time of his arrest, Zhang lacked licensing to trade and transport liquid gas, prosecutors said.