Hyderabad: The Special Operation Teams (SOT) of Malkajgiri Zone apprehended two persons, the owner of a diesel tanker and his driver, for stealing diesel from a tanker, which was transporting the fuel from the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) bottling plant at Chengicherla to dealers.

They were selling the same fuel in the market for a higher price, police said, adding that one diesel tanker, pipes and cell phones were seized from their possession.





The arrested were identified as M. Srinivas Rao, 48, the owner of the tanker, and P. Janakiram, 35, the driver, police said.

The SOT staff received credible information about the theft tanker owners were committing in connivance with drivers and other staff members while diesel was being transported from IOC Chengicherla to dealers, said G. Naveen Kumar, inspector, SOT, Malkajgiri.

“After filling the tanker, while proceeding to deliver to petrol bunks in the city/districts, tanker owners and their people stop at isolated places and remove the diesel with the help of pipes to sell it in the market by adulterating it and are earning money illegally,” said the official.

Srinivas Rao and Janakiram were caught red-handed by the SOT team while they were siphoning diesel from a tanker bearing the number AP 31 TU 6844 on Wednesday. They were handed over to Medipally Police Station for further legal action.