Tunnels dug at night, valves installed in oil pipelines, a truck ferrying the stolen fuel, and rented shops serving as cover-ups. That’s how a man was allegedly stealing fuel and selling it cheaply to transporters in northern India.
The Crime Branch has arrested two men in connection with a sophisticated fuel-theft racket that allegedly targeted Hindustan Petroleum’s pipeline network.
The first breakthrough came in Jaipur, where officers detained Rajesh Urang (47) after an anonymous tip-off led them to a rented house in Vasundhara Nagar. Inside, police found a tunnel, digging tools, and a GI pipe fitted with valves connected to a plastic tank placed in a pickup truck filled with diesel.
“At Plot No. 145, Vasundhara Nagar, the team found Rajesh Urang… A search of the premises revealed digging tools and a tunnel… connected to a transparent plastic pipe leading outside to a white plastic tank,” DCP (Crime) Harsh Indora said.
Investigators soon learned that Urang was only a small part of the operation. “… he was merely in charge of ensuring that the tank gets loaded every day,” DCP Indora said.
According to police, Urang stated that the entire setup had been arranged by Swaran Singh Sardar and his associates
Interrogation revealed that the alleged mastermind, Swaran Singh Sardar, a native of Bharatpur, is a veteran of the oil black market with more than 19 cases registered against him across northern states.
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“In 1992… he started pilfering fuel and selling it in the open market. He was arrested,” DCP Indora said of Swaran’s early involvement.
After repeated arrests and releases, Swaran allegedly shifted to a more elaborate method.
Beginning in 2011, police said he started identifying isolated stretches along major pipeline routes, renting nearby premises and running cover businesses to avoid suspicion.
“First, he conducted a detailed survey of the HPCL pipeline route and identified isolated locations suitable for illegal tapping.”
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“To avoid suspicion, he rented nearby premises and started a cover business—such as selling mineral water—allowing him to operate discreetly”
“After setting up the cover business, he would start digging a tunnel from inside the premises. The digging was conducted in phases to minimize noise,” DCP Indora said.
He added, “Once the tunnel reached the underground pipeline, he illegally tapped the pipeline by installing an improvised connection, through which the stolen oil was diverted into storage containers.”
According to police, Swaran set up such systems in Gurugram, Jaipur, Paschim Vihar in Delhi, and later Punjab.
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During the investigation, the Crime Branch tracked him down to Delhi.
Swarn and his associate, Rinku, were last spotted in Vikaspuri, the police said.
Acting on a tip-off, a team led by Inspector Krishan Kumar and Inspector Manjeet Singh arrested the duo near Vikaspuri Nagar Nala.
Police said Swaran moved frequently and preferred operating near Jaipur because “the route was suitable for selling the stolen oil easily due to its connectivity with transporters across different parts of the country.”
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Authorities are still piecing together the scale of the operation.
The police said that they have not yet disclosed how Swaran managed to tap multiple pipelines undetected or how much oil he siphoned over the years.
