Five arrested for thefts in oil tankers near India-Nepal border

Motihari: Police arrested five members of an organised gang involved in cutting oil tankers on NH-28A near Raxaul, close to the India-Nepal border. The police also seized 9,600 litre oil stored in 57 drums besides 23 empty drums.Manish Anand, SDPO of Raxaul, said on Sunday the thieves were engaged in the racket from a long time, often in collusion with vehicle drivers, so that they could provide proof of the oil theft to the owners. It is also learnt that the oil thieves used to mix ethanol in diesel, which resembled petrol, and then they sold it in villages across the border.After receiving information about the illegal trade in Majhriya village near NH-28A, superintendent of police (SP) Swarn Prabhat formed a special team headed by Raxaul SDPO. This team included police from five police stations—Raxaul, Adapur and Palanawa—and sleuths of the district intelligence unit. The police team raided the spot and recovered 57 drums of diesel, which were mostly stolen from stranded trucks on NH-28A that were on their way to Kathmandu from Haldia port. The police also seized a large quantity of chemicals used to mix in the oil. The arrested thieves were identified as Haquim Hawari, Bhuwan Ram, Shashi Ram, Shyambabu Kumar and Jhunna Sah—all residents of Raxaul and Ramgarhwa police station areas. The thieves disclosed that the gang had been operating for a long time, supplying mixed oil disguised as petrol in local markets of the bordering areas. The SDPO said use of adulterated fuel can damage engines of vehicles. Police are conducting more raids to arrest the kingpin of the racket and other accomplices of the gang.