Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (RD)

Mangalore, Aug 9: Hassan police have busted a racket of pilfering palm oil from tankers running from Mangalore to Bangalore.  Palm oil worth Rs 25 lac and one tanker has been recovered from a gang of four people including one Chandru, resident of Beltangady.

Chandru of Belthangady, tanker driver Rajesh, native of UP, Kubera of Tamil Nadu and Venkatesh, a native of Aloor who was buying the palm oil, were nabbed.

Three palmolive oil-laden tankers belonging to Mangalore Soya Private Limited were expected to reach Bangalore after they left Mangalore.  These tankers were found to have been parked besides a hut located on a bye-pass road in Hassan town on Sunday August 5 night.  The accused were pilfering palm oil, soya oil and dalda and selling to Venkatesh.  The policemen who knew of the racket nabbed them on the spot.

Hassan town police led by SI Yogesh were successful in nabbing the accused.  The cost has been estimated at Rs 25 lacs including the value of 3 tankers and cost of palm oil that was recovered during the raid.

They were produced in court on Tuesday August 7 which remanded them for judicial custody till August 17.

A minimum of 50–60 tankers ply on this bye-pass road every month while at least 50 liters of oil would be pilfered from each tanker.  The truck drivers and cleaners are selling the oil for Rs15 to Rs 30 per litre to hotels or grocery shops, sources informed.