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Sewri Police in Mumbai bust a ₹63-lakh illegal fuel racket, seizing over 33,000 litres of petroleum and arresting four accused. Learn how officers uncovered the operation and what comes next
In a decisive operation late Tuesday night, the Sewri Police Station, acting on a well-timed tip-off, uncovered and dismantled a sophisticated illicit fuel-storage and resale network operating out of a cold-depot facility on Fasberry Road, near Mazagaon in Sewri, Mumbai. The haul: approximately ₹62.91 lakh worth of petroleum-like substances, including 33,800 litres of fuel, three tankers, a tempo, iron drums and assorted decanting paraphernalia.
What Happened: The Raid and Seizure
On the night of November 4, a police team led by Senior Police Inspector Rohit Khot and assisted by PSIs Jitendra Patil and Abhijit Jadhav carried out a raid at the depot. The tip-off had indicated irregular tanker movements and storage activity. Upon reaching the site, officers found:
- Three tankers and one tempo, all used in fuel transport and storage.
- Fourteen iron drums (totaling around 2,800 litres) plus numerous empty drums, plastic cans, buckets, hoses and tools used for siphoning/transferring fuel.
- A large quantity of a petroleum-like substance (33,800 litres) stacked and ready for resale.
The total estimated value of the seized goods and vehicles is about ₹62.91 lakh.
Police noted the depot lacked any fire-safety or proper storage measures — an environment fraught with risk of explosion or disaster.
Who Has Been Arrested & Who is At Large
Four men have been arrested so far:
- Mahendra Kumar Ramnath Yadav (39),
- Amit Ramhit Yadav (22),
- Rajkumar Lalan Prasad Verma (26), and
- Sanjay Parasnath Verma (22).
All four hail from Mankhurd and Chembur.
Additionally, four suspects are still at large: persons identified only as Arif, Ramesh Saroj, Jamshed and Santosh — police are actively pursuing them.
Modus Operandi: How the Racket Worked
According to the investigation so far:
- A complaint lodged by one Suraj Praveen Deore of Chira Bazar flagged tanker vehicles diverting from their authorised routes and off-loading petroleum at this depot.
- Tanker drivers allegedly collaborated by off-turning from official route, siphoning fuel and transferring it into iron drums and plastic containers.
- The materials were then stored at the depot (without safety controls) and presumably sold illicitly. Given the volume and value, police suspect this is part of a broader network across the city.
Legal Action & Safety Implications
A case has been registered under:
- Sections 287 and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (dealing with negligent conduct with combustible matters and common intention) and
- Sections 3 & 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (govern petroleum storage/distribution).
The police emphasised the grave safety risk posed by unsafely stored petroleum in a densely-populated urban area like Sewri. Any spark or leakage could have triggered massive casualties. The storage lacked basic fire-prevention equipment, and the depot itself was not authorised for such large-scale fuel handling.
Samples of the seized substance have been sent for forensic testing to confirm if it is genuine petroleum or an adulterated product — investigators are tracking the tanker ownership, consignment papers, route bills and possible upstream suppliers.
Broader Context: Why the Sewri Area is Vulnerable
The Sewri area — adjoining port zones and major fuel terminals in Mumbai — has in the past been a hotspot for fuel theft and unauthorized storage operations. Previous investigations revealed clandestine pipelines, illegal tapping of supply routes, and large scale pilferage.
Authorities believe that the geography and the presence of major oil marketing company (OMC) infrastructure make it an attractive target for fuel mafia. The recent bust underscores how such operations adapt and persist despite previous crack-downs.
What’s Next for the Investigation
- The police are tracing the origination point of the fuel: tankers’ loading manifests, company supply records, driver statements.
- They are analysing the seized materials: type of fuel, whether adulterated, the storage methods, and any safety code violations.
- Freezing the assets of the accused may follow, including vehicles, drums, containers, yard lease etc.
- The search for the four absconding accused continues and may lead to wider exposure of the network — investigators suspect supply-chain links outside the city and potentially beyond.
Impact on the City & Consumers
- Illicit fuel operations reduce tax revenues, create unfair market distortions and undercut legitimate dealers.
- More importantly, these illegal depots pose major fire and environmental hazards in high-density urban locales.
- The bust signals to residents and regulators the scale of fuel-mafia activity and the need for tighter oversight: route tracking, tanker lock-seals, depot audits and live-monitoring of storage facilities.
Community Reactions & Lessons
Local residents in Mazagaon/Sewri have expressed relief that the depot was uncovered before a disaster struck. Many complained of tanker-movements late at night, fuel odours, unexplained drums stacked close to residential buildings.
Safety experts comment that urban fuel storage must follow strict guidelines: bunded areas, fire-walls, leak detection, periodic inspections — any deviation as seen in this racket is a recipe for calamity.
Conclusion
This major bust by Sewri Police, involving a staggering ₹63 lakh worth of petroleum seized, four arrests and active investigation of remaining suspects, is a strong message: the illegal fuel underworld is under serious scrutiny in Mumbai. Yet, the scale of activity also suggests that this may be one visible tip of a larger iceberg.
For Mumbai’s residents, the takeaway is clear: legend-scale illicit fuel operations thrive when oversight is lax — vigilance by authorities and public awareness must go hand-in-hand to keep such threats at bay.
