Delhi Police bust multi-state racket smuggling jet fuel as paint thinner

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Delhi Police have uncovered a sprawling smuggling operation that siphoned off thousands of litres of highly regulated aviation turbine fuel (ATF) meant for aircraft and illegally sold it as mineral turpentine oil (MTO) to paint and ink manufacturers across five states. Six men, including an ex-tanker driver turned alleged mastermind, have been arrested, while two others were detained in a raid on a Mundka godown on Sunday, HT reported.

Officials estimate the racket caused a monthly loss of Rs 1.62 crore to the exchequer, stealing roughly 5,000 litres daily, totalling nearly 54 lakh litres over three years. Police recovered 72,000 litres of stolen ATF, three tankers, forged tools and Rs 1.05 lakh in cash during the operation.

The accused diverted fuel from HPCL’s Asoda Depot in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, en route to Indira Gandhi International Airport. "The drivers manipulated GPS tracking and rerouted tankers to the Mundka godown," said DCP (Crime) Aditya Gautam, cited The Indian Express. Investigators found the gang used duplicate keys to bypass tanker locks, meant to be accessible only at the destination depot and forged dip rods to falsify delivery logs.

The stolen ATF was repackaged in barrels and sold under the guise of MTO, a cheaper solvent used in paints. "They sold it at Rs 50 per litre, far below the market rate," said an investigator. Jignesh Mehta of Mehta Petro-Refineries Ltd noted that MTO typically costs Rs 66 per litre, making the illicit ATF a "steal for a high-valued product”, The Indian Express.

As per HT, the alleged mastermind, Gaya Prasad Yadav (43), a former tanker driver, operated the Mundka godown and sold fuel to middlemen like Rajkumar Choudhary (53), who resold it to industries in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Transporter Ashpal Singh Bhullar (53) and three drivers, paid Rs 700–800 per trip, were also arrested. HPCL has taken custody of the seized fuel and tankers. Investigations continue to trace wider networks and beneficiaries.

Officials estimate the racket caused a monthly loss of Rs 1.62 crore to the exchequer, stealing roughly 5,000 litres daily, totalling nearly 54 lakh litres over three years.