The Libyan Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, said fuel smugglers all across Libya are known by names, adding that they are not operating as individuals but are partnering with owners of gas stations as well as some security apparatuses that are responsible for protecting fuel as it gets transferred from main depots to stations.

Dbeibah added at a cabinet meeting on Monday in Tripoli that increasing fuel transfers to south Libya isn't the best solution for the shortage in the region, especially that the more fuel arrives in there the more smuggling operations take place.

"There smuggling gangs and they must be tracked down and detained instead of asking for more fuel to be sent to stations. We can provide 20 liters to every citizen provided that the fuel is secured against smuggling. The solution is also related to raising fuel prices gradually and turning the subsidy into a cash one so citizens can buy fuel with the new prices." Dbeibah added.

South Libya has been enduring massive shortages of fuel due to the continuous smuggling operations across the border to neighboring countries, where the prices of fuel for are higher compared to Libya, while Libyans in southern cities are forced to buy fuel from the black market at prices ten times higher than the price set by the government.