MUZAFFARGARH: Police and Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (Parco) teams in a joint operation arrested three suspects, including the alleged ringleader of a gang, while they were stealing oil from Parco pipeline here on Saturday.

According to police, District Police Officer Syed Nadeem Abbas had learnt that many gangs were involved in stealing oil from teh Parco pipeline in Muzaffargarh.

Last week the DPO constituted a special team to arrest the gangs involved in oil theft.

On Saturday, a joint police and Parco team conducted a raid on leased farmland near the Parco where they found two tankers being filled with the oil stolen from the pipeline by the suspects.

Police arrested the gang ringleader, Shahid and his two accomplices on the spot, seized the oil tankers and recovered tools used in the theft.

Two tankers filled with stolen oil seized

Police learnt the eight-acre land where the raid was conducted was taken on lease by the prime suspect, Shahid, some two months ago. The main Parco pipeline runs near the land. The DPO said stern action would be taken against the suspects and others involved in the crime.

Mr Abbas said a case had been registered with Chowk Qureshi police station against six suspects, while three of them -- Shahid (ringleader), Kazim and Azam -- had been arrested.

Police sources said so far 112 cases had been registered against those involved in the oil theft.

Last month SHO Randpur Adnan Shehzad Qureshi had arrested three suspects who were stealing oil from Parco pipeline in the forest area.

The sources said that many officials, including of Parco and some policemen were also conniving in the oil theft scam.

The DPO said he would conduct a thorough probe into the matter.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2020