MUMBAI: The crime branch of the city police on Wednesday busted an illegal makeshift petrol pump run by a gang at a car service centre in Wadala. What has baffled the security agencies is that the illegal petrol pump was being run in the vicinity where oil marketing companies like BPCL, HPCL and IOCL have their major oil installation centres.
Police said the pump had a meter-reading facility, fuel tank underneath, fuel pump to unload and fill petrol.
A police team led by inspector Vinayak Meher on Thursday raided the place and arrested three people – Taranjeet Ratansingh Banga (44), Amarjeet Singh Malhotra (36) and Irfan Mehboob June (36) while some others are wanted. The police seized 15,000 litres of diesel worth Rs 11.7 lakh, illegal. Also, underneath diesel tanks, high-density pipe to unload diesel, pumping machine and electric equipment was found.
The gang sold diesel at Rs 67 a litre as against the current rate that is nearing the Rs80-mark. “The accused were running a car service centre behind which they were illegally selling diesel to certain luxury buses, transporters, courier service vehicles and other private transport companies,” Meher said, adding that they are now probing the source of the fuel.
