Police seize 25,000 litres of white petrol in City

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JUNE 2. The City police on Friday unearthed a huge quantity of industrial solvents illegally stored and sold as an alternative fuel for vehicles.

A team led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Fraser Town), Mr. M.K.Ganapathi, raided a godown in K.G.Halli Police Station limits and seized 126 barrels containing over 25,200 litres of industrial solvents such as methanol and toulene, sold as white petrol.

Two tankers and a matador which were used to transport the solvents were seized. The worth of seized ``solvents'' and other goods, including the vehicles, were estimated to be about Rs. 20 lakhs. The manager of the godown, Rafiq Ahmed, has been arrested.

According to police, Mohamed Mustaq Ahmed, the prime accused, who is reported to be absconding, is the main supplier of white petrol to the eastern parts of the City. ``About 50 per cent of white petrol sold in the City is supplied by him,'' an officer connected with the investigation told The Hindu.

On May 31, Mr. Ganapathi and his team raided a shop on Haines Road in Bharathinagar Police Station limits where white petrol was sold and arrested its proprietor, Syed Mansoor.

During interrogation, Mansoor revealed that Mustaq Ahmed was supplying white petrol to him. On Friday, police raided M.M.Chemical Industries on 10th Cross, Govindapura Main Road in K.G.Halli.

Huge quantities of industrial solvents were found illegally stored at the premises. According to police, Mohamed Mustaq Ahmed, owner of the godown, had encroached upon the land belonging to a housing co-operative society and fenced it by building 10-foot-high wall. He had been carrying on his illegal trade from there.

As the seized solvents were used by paint and enamel industry, Mustaq Ahmed had obtained licences for running small scale industries and had been procuring the solvents using these licences, police said.

Police have launched a manhunt for Mustaq Ahmed. The raid team included the K.G.Halli Inspector, Mr. Prathap Singh, and the sub- inspector, Mr. B.K.Umesh. A case has been registered under the Solvents Act 2001.

Meanwhile, police suspect that the prime accused in the Sanjaynagar petrol adulteration case, who is also absconding, is Mustaq Ahmed's business rival. Sanjaynagar police had seized adulterated petrol worth Rs. 8 lakhs and a tanker last Sunday. They had sealed two petrol bunks which were selling petrol mixed with industrial solvents.

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