Vadodara, Oct 24 (IANS) State Monitoring Cell (SMC) of Gujarat Police has unearthed a large-scale petrol and diesel theft racket operating within the limits of the Jawahar Nagar Police Station in Vadodara.

Acting on a tip-off, officials raided an open plot near the Amma Roadways transport office, where stolen fuel was reportedly being siphoned, stored, and sold illegally.

The operation resulted in the arrest of four accused, including the main perpetrator, Shakeel Samunbhai Rangwala of Fatehgunj, who is said to have a prior criminal record.

During the raid, the SMC seized petrol and diesel worth Rs 18.48 lakh along with cash, mobile phones, vehicles, and a tanker, taking the total seizure to Rs 44.25 lakh. The arrested accomplices were identified as employees and drivers involved in facilitating the illegal trade.

The raid, led by police inspector P.P. Brahmbhatt of the State Monitoring Cell, has once again raised questions over the vigilance of local police, as the illegal operation was being run openly in a busy locality. Despite previous crackdowns, fuel theft mafias continue to operate with impunity across Vadodara, highlighting the need for stronger enforcement and tighter surveillance.

Fuel theft—including diesel siphoned from municipal and industrial vehicles, and petrol or diesel pilfered from tankers—has emerged as a growing law-and-order concern in Gujarat.

In recent months, multiple major busts have been reported: in July 2025, authorities in Vadodara arrested three individuals involved in a racket stealing fuel from tankers of a major oil company, seizing about 9,000 litres of diesel and petrol.

Earlier, in Morbi district, a gang was busted stealing 330 litres of diesel from parked vehicles, with four arrests made and goods worth Rs 3.61 lakh recovered. The state’s regulatory machinery is also taking notice: for example, the Legal Metrology Department, in a special drive in July 2025, inspected 267 petrol-diesel pumps across all 33 districts and initiated actions against 16 pumps found with irregularities.

–IANS

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