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The Print
24-06-2025
- The Print
How a jet fuel theft syndicate ran for years, till a 72,000-litre haul worth Rs 1.6 cr was seized
Acting swiftly on the tip-off, the Crime Branch, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Ramesh Chander Lamba, had launched a surveillance operation, tracking tankers leaving the HPCL depot in Asoda for Indira Gandhi International Airport. The probe led to the unearthing and seizing of 72,000 litres of jet fuel worth Rs 1.6 crore Sunday from a clandestine lab in Mundka. New Delhi: The Delhi Police Crime Branch received a tip-off 4 days ago that a syndicate was siphoning off Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) meant for aircraft and selling it illicitly in the open market under the guise of Mineral Turpentine Oil (MTO) repurposed for making paint and ink. But they found that instead of heading directly to the airport, the tankers made an unusual stop in Munda. The GPS trackers had been tampered with to keep the stop hidden from both HPCL and airport authorities. To avoid raising suspicion, the accused only siphoned off small amounts of fuel instead of emptying the tank. 'Each tanker has four to five chambers. So, they would take 50 litres from each chamber. It was done to avoid detection,' a senior police officer told ThePrint. 'This illegal operation had been running daily for the past 3 years, with approximately 5,000 litres of ATF stolen every day, resulting in the theft of nearly 1.5 lakh litres monthly,' Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), Aditya Gautam said. Also read: Agra Police patrol interrupted. Bike stolen while officer was on duty Gauge manipulated & duplicate keys During the raid, police found three oil tankers, each loaded with 24,000 litres of ATF, being siphoned into barrels using pipes. They also seized two pick-up trucks meant for transporting the stolen fuel, duplicate master keys, barrels filled with stolen ATF and Rs 1.05 lakh in cash. 'They had duplicate keys for the three tankers. Each tanker has a lock, and the keys are with the airport authorities and HPCL,' another senior police officer said. 'To cover their tracks, they also forged measuring rods/gauges, which are used to gauge fuel levels and are marked with the tanker's identity. They had manipulated the centimeter scale to falsify readings and avoid detection,' the officer added. Six people have been arrested so far in the case and two have been bound down. The accused allegedly used pipes to take the fuel out, loaded them into barrels, put them in trucks and sold them in the open market. Police said the syndicate operated through collusion between the truck drivers, transporters and the godown operator. The arrested accused include Gaya Prasad Yadav, who had previously worked as a tanker driver and is allegedly the mastermind of the syndicate. According to police, he purchased the ATF at Rs 30 per litre and sold it for Rs 50 per litre. Another accused, Rajkumar Chaudhary, allegedly purchased the ATF for Rs 40 per litre and sold it at Rs 43 to Rs 50 in the open market. Ashpal Singh Bhullar, the transporter who owned the tankers, has also been arrested. Drivers Ram Bharose Yadav, Anjay Roy and Subodh Kumar Yadav were allegedly paid Rs 1,500 for each trip. 'Further investigation in the matter is on,' DCP Gautam said. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also Read: Post Air India crash, Centre's new draft rules aim to regulate buildings & trees around airports
New Indian Express
24-06-2025
- New Indian Express
72,000 litres ATF fuel seized, six arrested in Delhi
NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Monday claimed to have busted an Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) smuggling racket and arrested six people involved in siphoning off the jet fuel and selling it in black market. According to police, the racket was being operated from a godown in Mundka area, from where they recovered 72,000 litres of ATF fuel, saving the national exchequer from a monthly loss of Rs 1.62 crore. Two persons have been arrested. Based on a tip-off, police conducted a raid at a concealed godown in Mundka village. Three oil tankers, each loaded with 24,000 litres of ATF, were found to be siphoned using pipes into barrels, DCP (Crime) Aditya Gautam said. Two pick-up trucks meant for further transportation of stolen fuel were also seized. Additionally, duplicate master keys, barrels filled with stolen ATF, and Rs 1.05 lakh in cash were recovered from the spot. The ATF was originally loaded at the HPCL Asoda Depot, Bahadurgarh, in Haryana, for delivery to IGIA. The accused drivers, in collusion with the transporter and godown operator, manipulated the GPS tracking system and diverted the tankers to the Mundka godown for commissioning the crime.
NDTV
24-06-2025
- NDTV
Aviation Turbine Fuel Smuggling Racket Busted In Delhi, 6 Arrested
New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday claimed to have busted a racket siphoning off aviation turbine fuel from tankers meant for the international airport here and selling those in the open market as mineral turpentine oil, causing monthly loss of over Rs 1.62 crore to the national exchequer. The illegal operation - running for over three years - was uncovered following a tip-off received on Sunday, and led to the arrest of six people and detention of two others. The racket is said to be causing a loss of over Rs 1.62 crore to the exchequer every month, with an estimated 5,000 litres of fuel being stolen daily. "The ATF was originally dispatched from HPCL's Asoda Depot in Bahadurgarh for delivery to IGI Airport. However, tanker drivers, in connivance with the transporter and godown owner, manipulated GPS tracking data and diverted the tankers to a concealed location in Mundka," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Aditya Gautam said. The security locks on the tankers - meant to be opened only at the designated airport depot - were bypassed using duplicate master keys. Forged dip rods were then used to fake proper delivery readings, he added. The siphoned fuel was transferred into barrels and sold as Mineral Turpentine Oil (MTO), commonly used in the ink and paint industry. "Three oil tankers carrying 24,000 litres of ATF each were seized from the spot along with siphoning pipes, drums, and cash," the officer said. The raid was conducted and in addition to the tankers, police also recovered two pickup trucks meant for transporting the stolen fuel, Rs 1.05 lakh in cash, six dip rods (including forged ones), siphoning equipment, nine empty drums, and three duplicate master keys. The seized ATF and vehicles have been handed over to the concerned oil company for safe custody after due documentation. The arrested people include Gaya Prasad Yadav (43), the godown owner and former tanker driver. He used to purchase fuel at Rs 30/litre and sell at Rs 50/litre. Others include Rajkumar Chaudhary (53), regular purchaser of siphoned ATF which he sold at Rs 43 to Rs 50/litre, and Ashpal Singh Bhullar (53), owner of eight trucks including the three tankers seized Three truck drivers were also arrested -- Ram Bharose Yadav (44), Anjay Roy (41), and Subodh Kumar Yadav (32) -- who were paid Rs 1,500 per trip. Two detainees include driver's helpers Parveen Kumar Yadav (25) and Parveen Kumar Yadav (19) who were paid Rs 700 per trip. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Crime Branch police station. Further investigation is underway.
Hans India
24-06-2025
- Hans India
Aviation turbine fuel smuggling racket busted in Delhi; 6 held
New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday claimed to have busted a racket siphoning off aviation turbine fuel from tankers meant for the international airport here and selling those in the open market as mineral turpentine oil, causing monthly loss of over Rs 1.62 crore to the national exchequer. The illegal operation — running for over three years — was uncovered following a tip-off received on Sunday and led to the arrest of six people and detention of two others. The racket is said to be causing a loss of over Rs 1.62 crore to the exchequer every month, with an estimated 5,000 litres of fuel being stolen daily. 'The ATF was originally dispatched from HPCL's Asoda Depot in Bahadurgarh for delivery to IGI Airport. However, tanker drivers, in connivance with the transporter and godown owner, manipulated GPS tracking data and diverted the tankers to a concealed location in Mundka,' Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Aditya Gautam said. The security locks on the tankers — meant to be opened only at the designated airport depot — were bypassed using duplicate master keys. Forged dip rods were then used to fake proper delivery readings, he added. The siphoned fuel was transferred into barrels and sold as Mineral Turpentine Oil (MTO), commonly used in the ink and paint industry. 'Three oil tankers carrying 24,000 litres of ATF each were seized from the spot along with siphoning pipes, drums, and cash,' the officer said. The raid was conducted and in addition to the tankers, police also recovered two pickup trucks meant for transporting the stolen fuel, Rs 1.05 lakh in cash, six dip rods (including forged ones), siphoning equipment, nine empty drums, and three duplicate master keys. The seized ATF and vehicles have been handed over to the concerned oil company for safe custody after due documentation. The arrested people include Gaya Prasad Yadav (43), the godown owner and former tanker driver. He used to purchase fuel at Rs 30/litre and sell at Rs 50/litre. Others include Rajkumar Chaudhary (53), regular purchaser of siphoned ATF which he sold at Rs 43 to Rs 50/litre, and Ashpal Singh Bhullar (53), owner of eight trucks including the three tankers seized Three truck drivers were also arrested -- Ram Bharose Yadav (44), Anjay Roy (41), and Subodh Kumar Yadav (32) -- who were paid Rs 1,500 per trip. Two detainees include driver's helpers Parveen Kumar Yadav (25) and Parveen Kumar Yadav (19) who were paid Rs 700 per trip. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Crime Branch police station. Further investigation is underway.
Hindustan Times
24-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Delhi: Gang of aviation fuel thieves busted, 8 held
Delhi Police have busted a massive smuggling racket involving aviation turbine fuel (ATF), arresting six men and detaining two others for allegedly siphoning off thousands of litres of the highly regulated and expensive fuel meant for aircraft, and selling it in the black market across Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and other states. (Representative image) In total, over 72,000 litres of stolen aviation turbine fuel were recovered from the raids. (REUTERS) ATF, a highly flammable aviation-grade fuel, is strictly regulated and primarily used by airlines, making its theft a serious threat to both safety and the economy. Police said the racket caused an estimated loss of ₹ 1.62 crore per month to the national exchequer. A raid was conducted on Sunday at a godown in Delhi's Mundka village following months of surveillance and a tip-off by a team led by inspector Mahipal Singh, police said. 'Three oil tankers with 24,000 litres of fuel each were found siphoning ATF into barrels. Two pickup trucks for further transportation, forged dip rods, duplicate keys, filled barrels, and ₹ 1.05 lakh in cash were seized,' said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Aditya Gautam. In total, over 72,000 litres of stolen ATF were recovered. The accused were reportedly operating the racket for at least three years, diverting ATF en route from HPCL's Asoda Depot in Bahadurgarh to the Indira Gandhi International Airport, according to officials familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified. 'The drivers were working in collusion with transporters and the Mundka godown operator. They manipulated the GPS tracking system and would divert the tankers to Mundka' said DCP Gautam. The investigation headed by ACP Ramesh Lamba found that the tanker locks—secured with keys exclusive to the destination depot— were bypassed using duplicate keys. 'Over time, they had gained access to keys and made a duplicate. They also forged dip rods to simulate legitimate delivery measurements. The siphoned ATF was then sold in the open market under the guise of mineral turpentine oil (MTO)—commonly used in the ink and paint industry.' said an investigator. The investigator added that the fuel from tankers was taken into barrels which were kept in trucks. The investigator said, 'These trucks were then taken to Rewari, Sonipat in Haryana, in Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi and in other places such as Gwalior and Maharashtra to sell off to paint industries.' The DCP said the investigation revealed that the accused stole more than 5,000 litres of ATF daily for three years. 'This resulted in the theft of nearly 150,000 litres a month. We found genuine and forged dip rods, drums, master keys and duplicate keys, tanker locks etc,' he added. Those arrested include Gaya Prasad Yadav (43), the godown owner and alleged mastermind, who sold ATF at ₹ 50 per litre. His associate, Rajkumar Choudhary, acted as the key buyer, sourcing the fuel at ₹ 43–50 per litre and reselling it to paint and ink manufacturers. Ashpal Singh Bhullar, owner of the tankers, was also arrested along with three of his drivers—Ram Bharose, Anjay Roy and Subodh Kumar Yadav—who were paid ₹ 700–800 per trip. Two helpers have been detained. The seized ATF and tankers were handed over to HPCL for safekeeping after proper documentation, police said.
