Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Mar 4: The local police have busted a racket of pilfering diesel from the oil pipeline laid deep beneath the earth, by a gang of thieves. The thieves dug out the earth in forest region, accessed the pipeline and drew diesel from the pipeline of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd.

The team which had rigged hole in the pipeline and was drawing diesel from it at Kalpane near Panjikallu Padavu in the taluk in a deserted stretch, ran away after seeing the policemen. An oil tanker and a motor bike were found deserted at the site.

The MRPL officials engaged in observing the pressure of the oil movement in the pipeline grew suspicious after they noticed significant fall in the pressure. They immediately alerted the security staff and the Bantwal rural police. A police team led by Bantwal rural police station in-charge T D Nagaraj that went to investigate stumbled upon the gang that was extracting diesel from the pipe. The tanker was found to have been loaded with 20,000 litres of diesel valued at about Rs 7.7 lac. Equipments used to rig holes and rejoin the pipes were found at the site.

It may be recalled that about two years ago, diesel worth several lacs of rupees had been siphoned off from the pipeline in the same way from a spot little away from the present site. Six months ago, diesel was stolen again from Moodunadugodu near here. However, the culprits were not caught. The police feel that a huge racket having experienced people is behind the operations.