Dibrugarh police on Thursday busted a major diesel adulteration racket.
The police seized three tankers containing 20,000 liters of adulterated diesel from RD Dhaba at Chabua in Upper Assam Dibrugarh.
The raid was conducted under the leadership of Additional SP(HQ) Padmanav Baruah after getting specific information about the adulteration racket.
During the raid, three tankers containing 20,000 liters of suspected adulterated diesel, five litres nitric acid used as an adulterant, 20 kg powdered adulterant, 2 electric motors, two motorcycles, one scooty and one chemical testing kit were seized from the RD Dhaba.
The recovered items seem to be used for suspected adulteration of diesel using kerosene and other chemicals.
Talking to Northeast Now, Padmanav Baruah said they seized all the items used for adulteration along with three tankers.
“We have arrested one Amrit Urang in connection with the case. He is a worker at RD Dhaba. It’s a big racket operating from the dhaba and our investigation is on.”
Sources said between Chabua and Sepon of upper Assam, the whole adulteration process has been going on in the roadside dhabas during night.
Most of the tankers do their loading from IOCL, Digboi and the adulterations are carried out on the roadside or near the dhabas.
“It’s a big racket of diesel adulteration and if properly investigated, many high profile names will come in front of the public. The adulteration racket is active in upper Assam and they are carrying out their activities with proper planning having support from political parties,” a sources said.
“Last year, an oil tanker while parking in front of RD Dhaba caught fire but how did it catch fire was not investigated properly. RD Dhaba is a den of criminals and oil adulteration was carried out in the dhaba with support from corrupt police officers,” the source claimed.
However, the racket has been thriving in the last several years in nexus with local political leaders, police and civil officials, sources said.
The adulterated fuel also causes substantial damages to vehicles and two-wheelers when used.
In 2018, Dibrugarh police busted an inter-state oil pilferage racket from Naharani Borbam area of Moran and seized ten thousand litres of condensed oil and diesel.
Six persons involved in the racket were arrested.