According to the Cameroonian Ministry of Energy and Water, the adulteration of petroleum products causes cumulative losses estimated at 32 billion CFA francs per year.

Adulteration means to distort a particular petroleum substance, by mixing other foreign substances which may alter its physicochemical nature for the purpose of obtaining a greater amount of the product.

Similarly, this practice contributes to the destruction of the environment, to the extent that adulteration operations are performed in inappropriate areas allowing physicochemical residues to seep into the soil and destroy the flora and fauna.

Faced with this problem a committee has been set up by the Ministry of Energy to fight against petroleum fraud. It appears that some gas stations have even been accused of this malpractice.