Diesel Smuggling Racket Busted Near Paradip; 3,500 Litres Seized, One Arrested

Bhubaneswar: In a major crackdown on coastal fuel smuggling, Paradip Marine Police on Saturday busted an illegal diesel siphoning racket operating along the coastal belt and seized around 3,500 litres of diesel from a motor-operated boat. One person has been arrested in connection with the case.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, marine police intercepted a suspicious boat on the Mahanadi river route near Paradip during a patrolling operation. During the search, officials recovered a large quantity of diesel allegedly being transported illegally from deep-sea cargo vessels to the shore.

According to Paradip Additional SP Ajinkya Mane, the accused and his associates were allegedly using fishing activities as a cover for the smuggling operation. Preliminary investigation revealed that diesel was being siphoned from anchored cargo ships in deep-sea areas and transported through boats using unauthorised routes.

“Paradip Marine Police intercepted the boat during patrolling. One person was arrested while another managed to escape. We recovered approximately 3,500 litres of diesel from the vessel. We are investigating the source of the fuel, its intended destination, and the network behind the operation,” Mane said.

Police also seized the boat and other materials allegedly used in the operation. Investigators suspect the involvement of an organised network carrying out unauthorised offshore fuel transfers, posing serious concerns for maritime and economic security.

A manhunt has been launched to trace the absconding accused and identify the alleged mastermind behind the smuggling network, police added.