The total quantity of HSD pilfered was 12,300 litres, pumped into 12 tanks.

After three decades of operating unhindered, Vizag’s organised fuel thieves finally fell into the clutches of the Vizag police on Friday. In a joint operation, the Vizag City Task Force (CTF) and the Malkapuram police arrested 14 men of a 17-member gang that was involved in the theft of petroleum fuel from tankers. The other three are at large.

The theft came to light when Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel intercepted two trucks loaded with fuel at a railway siding near the Naval Dockyard on June 21. The CISF men informed the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) as the high speed diesel (HSD) had been pilfered from a tanker rake belonging to the oil major.

The total quantity of HSD pilfered was 12,300 litres, pumped into 12 tanks of 1,000-litre capacity and 15 barrels of 20-litre capacity.

A case has been registered at the Malkapuram police station and is being investigated.

Fuel pilferage has been happening in Vizag since the early 1980s but had not been given a serious look by the police, but for two to three cases booked on an ad hoc basis from time to time. “But this time, we gave it a serious look as it indicated an organised gang at work,” said Vizag Police Commissioner Amit Garg.

According to Mr. Garg, this was one of the many gangs active in theft, not only of oil products but also of iron scarp, fertiliser and petroleum coke. “In fact, they have a hand in all the products which land at Visakhapatnam Port,” he said.

Mr Garg did not rule out the involvement of people within the organisations whose goods are being pilfered and personnel of security agencies as well. “The racket has been going on for three decades,” said Mr. Garg.

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Modus operandi

INTRO: Vizag’s petroleum gangs operate a well-oiled machinery, so to speak.

WHO?

The gang members arrested on Friday: Sreeram Srinivasa Rao, Ambati Polaraju, Nidathana Ramana, Vittanala Satyanarayana alias Sattibabu, Nidathana Bheemaraju, Thota Ramarao alias Oil Ramu, Kandepalli Pydiraju, Koda Bujji, Turaka Raju, Dommeti Appalaraju, Modeti Yesu Kumar, Karri Someswara Rao, Chodi Apparao and Choppa Appalanaidu. All of them have a crime record.

HOW?

Members of the gang follow a fuel rake when it comes out of the oil terminal, be it of Hindustan Petroleum or Indian Oil Corporation. Near the Naval Dockyard, during the time when the engines are shuffled, the thieves park their truck alongside the rake, break open the seal of the lid on top of the tanker and pump out the oil into barrels kept in the trucks.

HOW LONG?

Police are still investigating how long this has been going on and how many rakes are pilfered in a week. A senior officer says that the gangs have been operating for generations.

TO WHOM?

The stolen fuel is sold to retail outlets and mechanised boats in the fishing harbour.