In a swift operation based on specific intelligence, the Ahmedabad police's Local Crime Branch (LCB) apprehended two individuals on Monday evening for allegedly stealing high-value aviation turbine fuel (ATF) from a tanker. The arrest took place at a cargo depot located in the Meghaninagar area of the city.
Tip-Off Leads to Red-Handed Arrest
Acting on a crucial tip-off received between 4 pm and 5 pm, a team from the Zone-4 LCB raided an open parking area behind the cargo depot. The police had received information that an active fuel theft was in progress at the site. The team's quick response led them to catch the suspects in the very act of committing the crime.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-4) Atul Kumar Bansal provided details of the operation. "We received information between 4pm and 5pm that fuel theft was taking place. Acting on this, an LCB team raided the cargo parking area and caught the accused red-handed while they were loading plastic containers filled with fuel onto a loading rickshaw after siphoning it from the parked tanker," DCP Bansal stated. The accused were immediately taken into custody and are facing charges of theft.
Modus Operandi and Seizures
Investigators revealed that the accused had employed a direct method to steal the fuel. They inserted a pipe into the rear section of the stationary tanker truck to siphon out the ATF. The stolen fuel was being transferred into multiple plastic containers for easy transport.
Before the police intervention, the duo had successfully siphoned approximately 780 litres of aviation turbine fuel. The estimated market value of the stolen consignment is around Rs 60,000. Following the arrest, the police seized all the evidence from the spot, which included:
- The loading rickshaw used for transport.
- Multiple plastic containers filled with the stolen ATF.
- The pipes and tools used to puncture the tanker and siphon the fuel.
The two arrested men have been identified as residents of Meghaninagar. One of the accused is 42 years old and lives in Sugharnagar, while the other is 37 years old and resides in Laxminagar.
Investigation into a Larger Network
The police have not ruled out the possibility of a more extensive operation behind this theft. Officials indicated that further investigation is underway to uncover several critical aspects of the case. The primary lines of inquiry include determining whether the two arrested individuals were part of a larger, organized network involved in the pilferage and illegal sale of fuel. Additionally, the police are looking into the history of the cargo facility to check if similar thefts have occurred there in the past but went unreported or undetected.
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges of securing valuable cargo and resources, even within designated depot areas, and underscores the role of proactive policing based on citizen and intelligence inputs.
