The City Market police arrested a man on the charge of illegally transporting kerosene off Mysuru Road on Saturday morning.
Identifying the suspect as Suresh, 28, a resident of Garvebhavipalya, police said they had confiscated nine barrels containing 1,800 litres of blue-coloured kerosene worth Rs 1.10 lakh from him. According to police, acting on a tip-off, they stopped a lorry around 9.45 am and found it was transporting nine barrels of blue-coloured kerosene.
Suresh, the driver, is said to have tried to dodge the police when he was asked to produce the necessary documents for transporting kerosene. But when grilled, he is said to have confessed to transporting the kerosene illegally.
Police said he had revealed his modus operandi—by bribing drivers of tankers transporting kerosene from oil sheds, he would make away with a few litres of kerosene from the tankers when they would stop at isolated places.
Thus, Suresh told the police, he would pocket thousands of litres in this manner and sell them in black market.
At the time of his arrest, he was on the way to supply the kerosene to a man named Krishna. Police suspect a gang of many people is running the racket. They are now looking out for Krishna.
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