A major illegal LPG racket was unearthed in Hyderabad, with police arresting 10 persons and seizing 414 gas cylinders in a well-coordinated crackdown.
According to media reports, that the operation was carried out by the Commissioner’s Task Force (Jubilee Hills Zone) in coordination with Banjara Hills police.
Acting on credible information, officials conducted a raid near a graveyard at Nagarjuna X Road on Sunday. During the raid, the accused were caught red-handed while allegedly dumping LPG cylinders and selling them at inflated prices.
Police seized a total of 414 LPG cylinders of various capacities, including both domestic and commercial cylinders, in full and empty condition. In addition, several vehicles used for transportation were confiscated.
These included DCM vans, a Bolero, Tata Ace, Tata Intra, and multiple auto-rickshaws. The total value of the seized property is estimated to be around Rs 21.88 lakh.
According to police officials, the prime accused, Mohd Aamir, was operating a gas agency under the name “Metro Gas Agency.” However, investigations revealed that he was not adhering to prescribed safety and regulatory norms.
Instead, he was illegally stocking LPG cylinders in an open area and selling them for wrongful gain.
Further inquiry indicated that the accused were exploiting the high demand for LPG by diverting supplies and selling them in the black market at higher rates.
The illegal operation involved a network of delivery personnel, drivers, and labourers who assisted in transporting and distributing the cylinders.
The raid was conducted under the supervision of Jubilee Hills Zone Inspector Ch Yadendar and Sub-Inspector D. Ravi Raj, who led the team in coordination with local police.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Task Force) Sri Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath, IPS, stated that stringent action would be taken against all those involved in the illegal stocking, diversion, and black marketing of essential commodities, and warned that such violations would not be tolerated.
