Port zone’s deputy police commissioner Rashmi Karandikar busted a gang of oil smugglers who used to steal fuel from oil tankers and sell it in the black market at a lower price. The police have arrested four oil smugglers namely Siddheshwar Waghmare, Rajendra Tiwari, Narendra Singh Rawat and Raju Pandit.
The oil smugglers used to finalise the deal outside petroleum companies at Sewri and many times, police tried catch-hold of the gang but they failed. Finally, police were tipped-off about the oil smuggling gang who were going to finalise a deal on Monday.
Likewise, trucks which were returning from oil companies and were on their way to JNPT Port Trust stopped in the middle of the road and started stealing the oil when the police caught the gang.
As there were many oil companies in Sewri, oil smugglers had fit a pipe below the tanker because of which, more than 50 litres excess oil used to accumulate in the pipe. After this, oil smugglers used to take out oil from the pipe and then from the main tanker. Meanwhile, when the security guard used to check the depth of the tanker, the mafia used to replace it with cheaper oil.
Usually, the accused oil smugglers used to bribe the drivers of oil trucks and steal oil. When the police busted the gang, they also seized 22,000-litre diesel which was illegally stocked up. Diesel market price is ₹67.19 but the oil-smugglers sold the very same diesel at ₹60, three-four times a week. Until now, the state has suffered huge losses due to these oil smugglers. Upon investigation, it was found that all the four accused were history-sheeters and they have one more partner-in-crime who is on the run.
Prior to busting a gang of drug smugglers, police had arrested other drug-smugglers namely Santosh Hendry Alfred D’souza, Rajesh Harijan, Rakesh Chavhan, Kaluram Gautam, Shambhu aka Sunil Koli.
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