The petroleum products is usually imported through this berth
Representational image
Visakhapatnam: After nearly a decade of operating unhindered, one of the organised gangs of fuel thieves at LPG Jetty area of Visakhapatnam Port Trust area finally fell into the clutches of the Vizag police on Friday.
In a joint operation, City Task Force (CTF) police and the Malkapuram police arrested a seven member gang, including two persons working as ship surveyors that was involved in theft of petroleum fuel from cargo ships . The cops also seized two fibre boats, each with a storage capacity of 16,000 litres oil, a fishing boat and 10,000 litres diesel, all worth Rs 30 lakh form the gang. The arrested persons were identified as Sykam Prasad, 32, of Maharani-peta, Bade Raju alias TV Raju, 29, of Paindorapeta, Mylapalli Mahesh, 35, of Chengalraopeta, Bandaru Madhu, 26, of Gangavaram village and ship surveyors Madem Ramakrishna, 32, of Dondaparthi, Kolanu Sridhar, 44, of One town area and Chintapalli Ramalias Builder Ramu, 33. Sykam Prasad is the kingpin of the gang. Explaining the modus operandi, DCP (Law and Order, Zone-I) Dr C.M. Trivikram Varma said that that gang enters the LPG jetty, one of the 15 berths in the port area for cargo handling of petroleum products in huge quantities.
The petroleum products is usually imported through this berth and in turn transported to the HPCL terminal through the heavy pipe-lines. Prasad enters LPG jetty along with other colleagues in fibre boats whenever he receives information about the movement of any oil tanker. He, along with others, with the alleged help of CISF personnel enters the LPG jetty at midnight and steals the oil products. To store the oil, the gang makes arrangements in the fibre boats with a storage tank facility of 16000 litres in each boat. For committing these offences, Prasad struck a friendship with Shah Anil Kumar and A. Sank-ara Rao of CISF, who used to be on the on the marine patrolling duty, DCP said. He also befriended B. Madhu, Rama Krishna, K. Sridhar, who are working as technical calibration assistants in KC Sharma & Co, SAYBOLT and MARCONS shipping companies
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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