HYDERABAD: Valued at Rs 95.65 per litre, diesel prices in Hyderabad are higher than Karnataka’s diesel rate of Rs 86.39. Taking note of this price difference, a smuggler had been illegally transporting thousands of litres of diesel from Karnataka to Hyderabad on several occasions.
The Cyberabad Special Operations Team on Tuesday apprehended seven drivers of the diesel smuggling gang and seized 10,800 litres of diesel worth Rs 10 lakh along with seven small tankers. The police intercepted the gang while they were travelling across an open plot in front of an engineering college in Vattinagulapally.
Upon enquiry, the police found that a businessman named Radhakrishna had turned into a diesel smuggler and had been smuggling diesel worth crores of rupees across the two states.
According to police, Radhakrishna is supplying the diesel to another smuggler Surya, who further delivers the fuel to the door-step of needy customers. For this purpose, Surya hired Ritesh, who manages an app through which small tankers, local sand lorries, quarry lorries and consumers purchase the smuggled diesel, said the SOT officials.
Officials noted that Radhakrishna was named as an accused in a case from last month too, where 18,000 litres of diesel was being smuggled into the city.