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.