Petrol theft on the rise

KOCHI: Fluctuating petrol prices seem to encourage petrol burglary in the city. Recently, the police unearthed two major cases of theft from petroleum tankers and sale of petrol in black market. The shadow police, recently, caught a person who had stored more than 100 litres of diesel and petrol to sell in the black market. There are cases of theft where petrol tankers were leaked while parked in the certain parts of the state.According to the police, the petrol black marketing has become favourable as fuel prices are fluctuating on a daily basis. Petrol is also being leaked from the cars and bikes parked in the public places. A police officer said, “The fluctuating price of the petrol has also increased the petrol black marketing and fuel theft cases. The fuel black marketing is done to gain better profit as petrol price is changing day-by-day. Black marketers are also operating in the remote areas where there are no petrol bunks.”“These black marketers often adulterate the fuel and give it at a cheap rate compared to the fuel available in the petrol bunks. And, usage of petrol from the black markets reduces the life of the vehicle. They mix kerosene and other chemicals in the petrol” the police officer added.“There are also theft cases reported in which tankers carrying the petroleum products are leaked by the burglars. Some tankers have reported variation in the quantity of petrol carried by them. Most of such cases were reported from the tankers parked in public places at night. Most often, such thefts go unnoticed as a difference of three to four cans doesn’t catch the attention of the operators,” the police official said.Special Branch assistant commissioner M N Ramesh said that the issue is not new as black marketers had been functioning in the remote areas. “The petrol black marketing has been active in the remote areas of the city. They divert petroleum products to these places and earn better profit. We have caught many such people. So far, leaking petrol from tankers was restricted to Thripunithara area, but we have received information that the they have spread their activities to the different parts of the city. We are monitoring the situation and people engaging in such illegal activities will be caught and punished,” said M N Ramesh.