Nuapada: Police have arrested 11 persons for their alleged involvement in LPG theft in Udyanbandh area under Komna police limits in Nuapada district, a source said Monday.
All 11 accused will be produced before the court this afternoon, Komna police station in-charge Sumant Kumar Naik said.
Komna police busted the racket during patrolling Sunday night while the accused were allegedly smuggling LPG at Udyanbandh dhaba, the source informed.
Acting on intelligence inputs, police raided the dhaba. As many as six gas tankers, two two-wheelers and a total of 130 gas cylinders including 59 full and 71 empty cylinders were seized by the cops last night.
The police informed that the racket used to illegally transfer gas from LPG tankers with the help of pipes and refill it in domestic gas cylinders. Later, the cylinders were sold in black market in Nuapada and Bargarh districts.
Also read: Nabarangpur potters hope for more lights this Diwali amid reducing demand for earthen lamps
The arrested persons include a former sarpanch of Kureshwar panchayat identified as Ananta Sahu, Ramnaresh Prasad Yadav from Bihar among others.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
PNN