Mumbai: Benzene siphoning bid worth Rs 32L foiled in Ghatkopar; two arrested

Acting on a tip-off, police raided the spot and caught two men near the tanker and tempo, while others fled. They seized vehicles, drums, cash, and benzene worth Rs 61.8 lakh, with benzene valued at over Rs 32 lakh

Pantnagar police arrested tanker driver Amir Gulhasan Khan, 25, and scrap dealer Anwar Ahmad Chaudhary, 45, for attempting to siphon benzene from a tanker en route from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited's (BPCL) Mahul refinery to Gujarat.

Two accomplices, Dharamraj Chaudhary and Iklakh Farooqui, escaped and are being traced. Constable Ramesh Pawar, on night patrol, received the tip-off and alerted the team. Police said the accused had diverted the tanker to a secluded spot to transfer the chemical into drums brought in a tempo. A case has been registered under relevant BNS sections and a probe is underway.

A tanker stands parked in the dark on an isolated stretch near Udyog Kendra in Ghatkopar East around 3.20 am, drawing suspicion during a police patrol barely 1.5 km from Pantnagar police station

Official Speak

Police warned that benzene catches fire very easily. "The real danger is its vapour, which spreads quickly in the air during such transfer. All it takes is a tiny spark, from a cigarette, a vehicle engine, or even static, to trigger a fire. There was no safety gear or precautions. This was a recipe for a major fire or explosion," an officer said.

The driver and accomplices siphoning benzene from the tanker into plastic and metal drums loaded in a tempo, allegedly preparing for illegal diversion of the highly flammable chemical. Illustrations/Uday Mohite

What is benzene?

A highly flammable, toxic petroleum-based chemical used in plastics, rubber, dyes, and medicines.