Jaipur: CID-Crime Branch of Rajasthan Police uncovered an interstate benzene theft racket in Pali district Sunday. They arrested a tanker driver and seized more than 1,200 litres of the highly flammable chemical that was being pilfered and traded, while the primary suspect evaded capture. The chemical, essential in manufacturing plastics, synthetic fibres, rubber, detergents, dyes, and pharmaceuticals as a solvent, was en route from Punjab to Gujarat via Rajasthan when the authorities caught the group stealing from the tankers. The authorities discovered a Gujarat-registered tanker alongside a pickup truck parked in an empty plot in Jaitpura area. Police observed drums being offloaded from the pickup while benzene was transferred through a pipe from the tanker into the drums. Upon spotting police, the suspects attempted to escape. The pickup vehicle became trapped in mud, forcing its occupants to flee into nearby fields. Police managed to detain the tanker driver, although his associate escaped.During questioning, the driver admitted that while transporting benzene from Bathinda in Punjab to Dahej in Gujarat, he and his associate would covertly access the container without damaging the seal to steal portions of the chemical. They would then sell it at reduced prices for swift profits. The associate had also persuaded other chemical transport drivers from Gujarat to participate in similar benzene theft, he said.The dangerous chemicals were being stored without proper safety protocols near a hotel, posing serious risks of fire or explosion. The operation lacked the necessary permits and licences for storing such dangerous substances, police said.
