In a significant move, the Commissioner’s Task Force (Jubilee Hills Zone) in collaboration with Banjara Hills police apprehended 10 individuals for unlawfully hoarding and selling LPG cylinders at marked-up prices. Acting on reliable intelligence, law enforcement conducted a raid near a cemetery at Nagarjuna X Road in Banjara Hills on Sunday, nabbing the suspects in the act of stockpiling and vending cylinders at elevated prices.
During the operation, authorities confiscated a total of 414 gas cylinders of different capacities and the vehicles used for their transportation. The seized assets are valued at approximately Rs 21.88 lakh. The main suspect identified as Mohd. Aamir, running a gas agency called “Metro Gas Agency,” was found to be flouting regulations by storing cylinders in an open area and profiting illicitly from their sale.
Police uncovered that the culprits were taking advantage of the surging demand for LPG, diverting supplies to the black market where they were sold at inflated rates with the help of delivery personnel, drivers, and laborers. The confiscated items comprised both commercial and residential LPG cylinders, both full and empty, as well as various vehicles like DCM vans, Bolero, Tata Ace, Tata Intra, and multiple auto-rickshaws used for transportation.
The operation was overseen by Jubilee Hills Zone Inspector Ch. Yadendar and SI D. Ravi Raj in conjunction with Banjara Hills police. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Task Force) Sri Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath, IPS, emphasized that stringent measures would be taken against those involved in the illicit sale and black marketing of essential goods.