RAIPUR: In a major crackdown on industrial crime, the Durg district police in Chhattisgarh dismantled a deeply entrenched, highly organised criminal syndicate operating inside the Maharatna public sector undertaking SAIL’s flagship unit, Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), which is secured by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). BSP was established in 1955 with assistance from the former USSR.
The operation was blown wide open on May 26, when a police team acted on a tip-off and raided the premises of A.K. Traders, located in the Akalordih suburb of Bhilai. During the raid, police caught the syndicate red-handed, discovering a massive stockpile of steel scrap hidden beneath flue dust inside multiple high-capacity commercial vehicles.
The audacity and seamless execution of the operation have left investigators questioning how such a clandestine, large-scale theft went undetected repeatedly despite the round-the-clock deployment of a professional paramilitary force like the CISF, along with BSP’s internal security and management.
The CISF is primarily tasked with providing security to the country's critical national infrastructure.
The Durg police suspect that the multi-million-rupee racket operated under the guise of legitimate industrial waste management.
"The syndicate methodically smuggled high-grade BSP iron plates, beams, and structural steel cuttings by concealing them inside vehicles designated for transporting 'flue dust' (an industrial by-product)," Durg Senior Superintendent of Police Vijay Agrawal TNIE.
At the crime scene, law enforcement seized approximately 250 tonnes of iron plates and beams valued at Rs 90 lakh. Additionally, police impounded an extensive fleet of transport vehicles and heavy earthmoving equipment allegedly used to load and transport the stolen material. The total value of the seized property, including high-end trucks, tippers, a JCB, a Hydra crane, a chain-mounted machine, and five specialised dust-sieving machines exceeds Rs 3.50 crore.
"It is unthinkable that theft on such an enormous scale could continue at SAIL’s flagship organisation, BSP, with the stolen material repeatedly passing through high-security checkpoints manned by the CISF," police officials pointed out.
Police believe the seizure is just the tip of the iceberg. Investigations and the interrogation of suspects have exposed what appears to be a much larger systemic leak. According to investigators, multiple gangs have been operating within the plant, allegedly smuggling out more than 3,000 tonnes of premium steel and heavy iron over the past six months, causing an estimated loss of Rs 17.87 crore to the Maharatna PSU.
"Alarmingly, this is not an isolated operation. Multiple parallel syndicates are believed to be actively bleeding the public sector undertaking using identical methods," the Durg SSP said.
The racket allegedly operated with clockwork regularity, exploiting systemic security gaps to siphon off massive quantities of industrial steel on a routine basis.
The explosive revelations have raised serious questions about the possible complicity of internal plant security personnel, transport operators, and scrap dealers. Durg Additional Superintendent of Police Sukhnandan Rathore, who is investigating the case, said the syndicate functioned through a network of influential individuals, including transporters, operators, and scrap dealers.
When contacted, BSP Senior Public Relations Officer Priyadarshi Amulya described the matter as "sensitive" but declined to answer detailed queries.
"The common understanding is that when the police are already investigating a case, the concerned organisation should refrain from making any statement," he said in a written response.
Police are currently analysing extensive CCTV footage to determine how many times the compromised vehicles passed unhindered through the plant's high-security gates. The 13 arrested individuals face stringent charges under organised crime and theft provisions, with the Durg police indicating that more high-profile arrests are likely as the wider network is uncovered.
"It is beyond imagination how a professional security force like the CISF, along with the plant's own management, could allow thousands of tonnes of heavy industrial iron to be routinely smuggled out of a high-security zone," a senior investigative source said.
"This was not petty theft. It was a highly organised, institutionalised pipeline. Our investigation will not stop at the level of drivers and yard owners. We are actively probing the serious security lapses, and possible collusion within the security apparatus and the management that allowed these multi-crore losses to continue unchecked for years," the SSP asserted.