New Delhi, April 3
The Delhi Police has cracked down on an illegal LPG cylinder hoarding operation in the Bawana industrial area, arresting one person and seizing 75 cylinders that were being stored and transported without any legal authorisation. The accused, Anil, 50, was taken into custody on Thursday after police received specific information about suspicious movement and storage of LPG cylinders in the locality.
A police team deployed a picket near District Park in Bawana on Thursday evening. At around 4 pm, a pickup truck was stopped and searched. Officers recovered 27 cylinders from the vehicle, including both domestic and commercial variants. The driver could not produce any valid documents including a licence, permit, stock register or proof of ownership.
On sustained questioning, Anil told police that more cylinders were stashed at a nearby location. A search of two rooms and an iron shed near a local factory led to the recovery of 48 additional cylinders, bringing the total to 75.
Police said the cylinders had been stored in unsafe conditions with no fire safety arrangements or legal approvals in place, creating a significant risk for the surrounding industrial area.
The racket came to light amid a broader LPG supply crunch in India. Ongoing conflict in West Asia and disruptions to shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz have tightened fuel supply chains across the country, creating conditions that illegal operators are exploiting for profit.
