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The former truck cleaner owned a fleet of seven tankers supplying petrol and diesel, which he had modified to siphon fuel

The CCB sleuths of the Mangalore police commissionerate on Saturday unearthed a diesel and petrol theft scam that was operational for almost four years. Police commissioner Manish Kharbikar told reporters that the scam involved some tankers under contract with the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).

 
The procedure is that after filling the tanker with fuel, IOCL personnel would lock the lid and the valve (to unload the liquid). The keys are available only with IOCL authorities and the pump owner to prevent pilferage.

 
However, the accused had built a secret tank inside the tanker. When the fuel is unloaded at the bunk, at least 200 litres would remain in the secret compartment. This was taken out later by the owner of the fleet.
 
CCB inspector Venkatesh Prasanna said, “A six-wheel tanker has three parts with a storage capacity of 12,000 litres while a 10-wheel tanker has four compartments with a capacity of 20,000 litres. The accused would steal about 100 litres from each tank. With his fleet of seven tankers, he would steal at least 700 litres every day. Most of his tankers catered to KSRTC depots. Nobody ever suspected the accused considering that a certain amount of fuel is lost to evaporation.”
 
Six persons have been arrested. The owner of the fleet is U B Ashok, a 33-year-old resident of Mani, near Bantwal. He began his career as a cleaner of a tanker. His tankers were operating in Mangalore, Karwar, Shimoga, Hassan, Udupi and Madikeri. Of his seven tankers, police have seized five. Sources said that on knowing that the tankers are being seized, the driver of one abandoned the lorry at Madikeri.
 
Ashok’s annual income is about 1.70 crore. He was using some of the stolen fuel for his fleet and selling the rest to acquaintances. He was charging Rs 30 for diesel and Rs 50 for petrol.
 
Sources claimed that the moment Ashok learnt about the CCB seizing his tankers on Saturday, he offered a bribe of 3 lakh. By evening, he allegedly raised the amount to 10 lakh.
 
The other accused are Sukumar (28) from Madikeri, Chidananda (21) from Puttur, Kushalappa (25) from Puttur, Udaya Kumar (35) from Shimoga and C K Smikil (20) from Belthangady. Two accused are absconding.