A clandestine cooking gas siphoning racket operating within the industrial belt of Gujarat has been dismantled following a targeted enforcement action in Surat. Operating inside an enclosed parking space along the Bhesan to Hazira corridor, the syndicate had been transferring liquefied petroleum gas directly from a heavy road tanker into consumer cylinders. Acting on actionable intelligence regarding hazardous activity in the area, a police contingent raided the location unannounced, apprehending nine individuals actively involved in the transfer process.
Details of the Seizure at the Scene
Upon securing the perimeter of the parking plot, officers discovered a large transport tanker linked to retail canisters through improvised flexible lines. The search team confiscated 84 cylinders that had already been charged with stolen fuel during the ongoing shift. In addition to the loaded units, officials seized four empty cylinders awaiting refilling alongside three specialized transfer hoses used to bleed gas directly out of the tanker. The setup lacked basic fire suppression equipment or pressure regulators, creating an acute explosion hazard for surrounding properties.
The Plot Rental and Internal Collusion
According to the official first information report, the logistical brain behind the enterprise is Pawan Singh Gujjar. In order to secure a discreet operations yard, Pawan had brokered an arrangement with Mahesh Janjvadiya, who served as the premises watchman. Mahesh leased out access to the parking compound for a monthly fee of 12,000 rupees without alerting the actual landowner. Once uninterrupted access was established behind boundary walls, Pawan recruited a crew of handlers to manage the physical labor of connecting transfer lines and handling the cylinders.
The Tanker Origin and Apprehended Accused
The investigation disclosed that Laxman Singh Rawat piloted the transport vehicle, which was carrying bulk LPG associated with GAIL, straight into the rented yard. Once parked out of public view, Pawan's accomplices immediately connected delivery hoses to tap the pressurized cargo. The nine people taken into custody have been identified as ringleader Pawan Singh Gujjar, aged 26; Suresh Boriwala, aged 35; watchman Mahesh Janjvadiya, aged 35; Pankaj Singh Thakur, aged 26; Deva Singh, aged 28; Subhash Singh Rajput, aged 28; Vishal Bhabhor, aged 24; Deepak Bhabhor, aged 26; and driver Laxman Singh Rawat, aged 53.
Statutory Charges and Expanded Inquiries
Criminal proceedings have been initiated against all nine suspects under pertinent clauses of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. They have additionally been booked under the Essential Commodities Act of 1955 alongside the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Regulation of Supply and Distribution Order. DCP Shaifali Barwal stated that the action stemmed from verified intelligence concerning unauthorized fuel handling within the Bhesan-Hazira parking facility. Investigators are currently tracking the downstream distribution chain to determine which commercial eateries, vendors, or black market traders were slated to receive the illegally filled cylinders.
