New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) In a significant crackdown on the illegal hoarding of LPG cylinders, the Delhi Police arrested one person linked to a black marketing syndicate and recovered 57 HP gas cylinders along with refilling equipment from Rohini, officials said on Sunday.

In what officials described as a major breakthrough, the Crime Branch (NR-1) of the Delhi Police, acting on specific and credible intelligence, carried out coordinated raids at multiple locations in the Rohini area of Delhi. The raids exposed a large-scale illegal operation involving the unauthorised storage and refilling of LPG cylinders.

During the operation, police recovered 57 HP gas cylinders along with equipment used for refilling, pointing to serious violations of safety norms and regulatory guidelines. Officials said the seizure highlights a deliberate misuse of the LPG distribution system.

Keeping in view prevailing concerns over hoarding and black marketing of LPG cylinders, a dedicated team had been constituted to identify and apprehend those involved in such activities.

The team included Inspector Pukhraj Singh, Sub-Inspector Niranjan Singh, Sub-Inspector Rahul, Assistant Sub-Inspector Pradeep, Head Constable Vikrant, Head Constable Harjeet and Constable Manoj. The operation was conducted under the supervision of ACP Ashok Sharma of NR-1.

According to officials, after sustained groundwork, specific and credible secret inputs were jointly received by Head Constable Narender and Head Constable Vikrant regarding illegal hoarding and refilling of LPG cylinders in the Rama Vihar area of Rohini district.

Acting swiftly on the information, a well-coordinated raid was conducted near Sursuman Gas Agency in Sector-22, Rohini. During the operation, a man identified as Lokpal, aged 55 and a native of Uttar Pradesh’s Etah, currently residing in Begumpur, Delhi, was allegedly found actively engaged in hoarding and illegally refilling LPG cylinders.

Following the raid, a case was registered on Saturday under relevant provisions of the Essential Commodities Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Crime Branch police station, and further investigation has been initiated.

Police said that out of the 57 cylinders recovered, 50 were filled, two were empty, and five contained a lesser quantity of gas. In addition to the cylinders, a Tata pickup truck allegedly used for transporting the cylinders, and a weighing machine were also seized from the spot.

Investigators further revealed that the accused was working as a registered delivery personnel with an authorised gas agency holding distributorship of HP LPG and was responsible for cylinder distribution in the Rohini area. The authorised storage godown of the agency is also located in Rohini.

During interrogation, it was found that the accused allegedly diverted LPG cylinders meant for delivery and instead stored them illegally in his vehicle rather than completing his assigned daily distribution targets, police said.

Officials added that he maintained an unauthorised stock and was allegedly involved in transferring gas from filled cylinders into empty ones using illegal equipment. The refilled cylinders were then sold in the open market, allowing him to exploit the situation for financial gain.

Further investigation into the case is underway, police said.

–IANS

sd/