Rajkot: Amid rising petrol and diesel prices, authorities in Rajkot have busted an alleged illegal biodiesel network, seizing around 75,000 litres of suspected flammable liquid during coordinated raids in the district.The Rajkot Range police conducted the operations in the Gondal and Shapar areas after receiving specific inputs about illegal storage and movement of the suspected fuel.In the first raid, officials searched the Suryadip Warehouse on Gondal–Gundala Road under Gondal City B police station limits, where nearly 45,000 litres of suspected inferior-quality biodiesel was found stored in two tankers. The drivers of the tankers were identified as Pruthvisinh Rawat and Santoshkumar Yadav.In a separate operation under the Shapar Veraval police station jurisdiction, police intercepted another tanker carrying around 34,000 litres of suspected flammable liquid parked in an open area. The driver identified himself as Khoda Vakatar.Police seized the entire quantity of liquid and sent samples to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for testing to determine its composition and legality. Three tankers were also confiscated during the operations.Separate cases have been registered at Gondal City B Division and Shapar Veraval police stations. The total value of the seized liquid and vehicles is estimated at around Rs 1.7 crore.Police have launched further investigation and are questioning the drivers to trace the source of the suspected biodiesel and identify the supply chain and intended recipients.Officials said such low-grade biodiesel is often sold illegally at cheaper rates and is used by transport operators and truck drivers to reduce fuel costs, despite regulatory and safety concerns.
