Acting on a tip-off, police officials yesterday arrested 42-year-old Avtar Singh alias Bittu, a member of the gang, from Chander Vihar in west Delhi, police said.
The gang came under police scanner when they received a secret information that the gang members of an organised gang reside in Chander Vihar area who are expert in committing theft of fuel from pipelines with a unique modus operandi.
"A core team was formed and briefed about the significance and ramifications of the case and was duly motivated to leave no stone unturned in cracking the gang. All the informers were activated. The probable hideouts were kept under watch for the last several weeks which finally led to the arrest of Avtar Singh," said DCP (West) Pushpendra Singh.
"On the said day, Singh and his accomplices namely Rinku, Iqbal, Swaran Singh, Kala, Raju and Shamsher Singh had left Delhi after making all planning and preparation to commit the theft of fuel from a pipeline of Indian Oil Corporation running underground from Panipat to Bhatinda commonly known as P B Pipeline," the official said.
The gang used two vehicles - an SUV car and one oil tanker and reached Bhatinda. During the night, the SUV was parked in front of a restaurant at road side while the tanker was driven close to the pipeline through a 'kachcha rasta'. Equipments like spade, iron pipe, welding set, drill machine etc. Were on the oil tanker.