KOHAT: Following reports of crude oil theft in Kohat areas, the provincial government has directed the district police to stop the illegal practice because smuggling and unauthorised sale and storage of oil is strictly prohibited.

Earlier, the oil was smuggled from wells in Karak district to Punjab and also sold on its way in Kohat by an influential mafia which had now been halted.

Sources said that after the discovery of oil in Gandiali, Ghorazai and Kamar areas of Kohat by the companies the mafia had again become active and was selling it at its makeshift storage facilities on Rawalpindi highway.

Police claim they have seized over 23,000 litres of oil in past few months

When contacted, Gumbat police SHO Ghulam Murtaza told Dawn by phone that they had so far seized about 23,000 litres of oil in over 20 operations in past few months and arrested 49 people involved in the racket besides impounding 15 vehicles, including tankers and pickup vans.

He said that the area where oil had been found was spread over several kilometres and it could not be controlled effectively. However, he said that operations would continue to stop the unlawful practice completely.

He claimed that the mafia had even dug 250 feet deep holes in the ground in some areas and pumped up oil which was being sold at Rs25 per litre, causing loss to the government. He said that for this purpose the mafia people had been using drilling machines used for boring water wells.

HASHISH SEIZED: The police have seized over two maunds of hashish from a pickup van at the Orakzai Agency-Kohat border and arrested one smuggler.

Ustarzai police had set up a barricade for checking of vehicles in connection with the Muharram security at Marai where they stopped a suspicious pickup van coming from Orakzai Agency. On checking, they recovered 2.8 maunds of hashish from its specially-welded secret cavities and arrested the alleged smuggler, Habib Khel hailing from Khyber Agency. A case has been registered against the accused.

ROAD MISHAP: One employee of the National Highway Authority was killed and another injured when a coach hit them near Kohat tunnel on the Indus Highway on Friday.

The police said that Romanullah and Mohammad Yasir were removing the NHA’s vehicle (2697), which had overturned, when a passenger coach (B-5773) ran over them, injuring them seriously.

Police said that Romanullah later succumbed to his injuries in KDA hospital, while condition of the other official was precarious. Police arrested coach driver Mohammad Nawaz and have registered a case against him.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2015

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