Rajkot: The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Devbhumi Dwarka police busted a racket of pilfering diesel from fuel tankers and selling it in the black, leading to the arrest of five persons and seizure of diesel and vehicles worth about Rs 81 lakh. The gang took advantage of rising international crude oil prices to illegally trade in the stolen fuel.Police said they had been keeping a close watch on possible black marketing of petroleum products amid rising global crude prices and geopolitical tensions. Acting on a specific tip-off, the SOG conducted a raid on Sunday and unearthed the illegal operation.Investigations revealed that the racket was led by the prime accused, Mahendrasinh alias Digubha Jadeja, a resident of Danta village. He allegedly colluded with tanker drivers to siphon off diesel from fuel tankers transporting supplies to petrol pumps on behalf of various companies.The drivers, employed by tanker owner Rushiraj Jadeja, would systematically pilfer diesel from the tankers during transit. The stolen fuel was then stored illegally in plastic barrels at a farm in Danta village without any permits, licences or fire safety arrangements, posing a serious risk due to its highly flammable nature.The diesel was later sold at cheaper-than-market rates to vehicles passing on the highway.During the raid, police seized about 1,700 litres of diesel worth Rs 1.53 lakh. Four tanker trucks valued at around Rs 20 lakh each were also confiscated, taking the total value of seized property to about Rs 81 lakh.Five persons were arrested on the spot: Mahendra Jadeja (26), a resident of Danta, and four tanker drivers — Hardev Chudasama (26), Vijay Chudasama (27), Rajdip Chudasama (20), and Dharmaraj Jadeja (23).The tanker owner, Rushiraj Jadeja of Jamnagar, is absconding and efforts are underway to trace him.An FIR has been registered at Jam Khambhaliya police station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Essential Commodities Act. Police are continuing the investigation to identify other links in the syndicate.
