The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) conducted raids on seven petrol pumps in Lucknow to check for petrol theft. The raids were conducted on Thursday night.

The STF also recovered electronic chips at few petrol pumps. The STF detained several persons from the petrol pump near King George Medical University in Lucknow.

Sources from STF said that the staff at the petrol pump were sifting petrol using a chip-based device.

Following the raids, it was found that nearly 50 ml petrol from a litre was being stolen by the staff who used the special electronic chip to deceive the customers.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED KNOW: STF has found that several petrol pumps were reaping in profits using a chip which costs about Rs 3,000. The police have busted a racket of petrol pump owners who used this chip in the dispensing machines to dupe customers. The STF men had identified nearly eight petrol pumps in Lucknow that were engaged in fraudulent practices. The police rounded up the culprits after they received a tip off regarding the practice. Sources from the police said that a man identified as Ravinder had developed the chip which was installed in the petrol dispensers to cheat customers. Police said that the chip reduced the output of the petrol dispensing machines by nearly six per cent. The chip is attached with a wire and is controlled using a remote. Ravinder has sold nearly 1,000 chips to petrol pumps across the state. When asked about how he acquired the skills to develop the chip, Ravinder said that he learned it from an engineer. Police have confirmed that they have recovered chips from petrol pumps located at Sitapur road, Chinhat, Samta Mulak and KGMU. Remote controllers were also recovered from the managers of these petrol pumps. Police said that if a customer purchased 1 litre petrol, the machine with the chipset would only dispense 940 ml of fuel. STF sleuths estimated that with the help of the chip set the petrol pump owners were earning profits to the tune of Rs 14 lakh each month. Police have registered an FIR against the petrol pump owners.

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Watch video here: UP: 7 petrol pumps in Lucknow found using electronic chip that reduces output by 5 per cent