http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/oil-mafia-killed-j- dey-suspect-cops/articleshow/8832194.cms
MUMBAI: The 'oil mafia,' which is very active in Mumbai and other regions of Maharashtra, may be behind senior journalist J Dey's killing, suspect Mumbai police. J Dey was working on a report that would have exposed the nexus between oil mafia, police and politicians. Many are shocked about the oil mafia's reach. It was held responsible for the gruesome burning of deputy collector Yashwant Sonawane in Jalgaon district last January. According to an officer of Mumbai Police , the oil mafia uses three methods to generate huge profits through illegal sale of petroleum products. First diesel is pilfered from oil tanker ships at sea, the second is mixing of naphtha or kerosene in petrol and selling it in the market and the third is pilferage from road tankers and railway wagons from railway stations or particular locations on highways and then selling the products. Some centers in northern part of Maharashtra, such as Jalgaon and Bhusawal, are main locations for this activity. Large quantity of petroleum products are carried in railway wagons to north and east of the country from Mumbai port, and trains or tankers stop for a long time at these spots. 750 wagons leave Mumbai for north and east every week. Pilferage from oil tankers at sea, while they wait to dock at the port, is a recent trend observed by police. Diesel is taken away from tankers and sold to boats and ships operating in Mumbai seas at 70% of market price. The kerosene used to adulterate petrol is mainly sourced from government's Public Distribution System. Comment: The Oil Mafia operates profitably in Goa too, but have a lower profile. I have personally been witness to an operation from a house in Loutulim just off the NH4, near the Vanxem chapel. Tankers kept on coming and were siponed off in a very manual and crude manner by local laborers who used their mouths to siphon the fuel into crude plastic containers which were purchased immediately by waiting car owners who paid a much lesser price than at the pump. I was amazed that 1) nobody seemed to care about the carcinogenic dangers of handling all that fuel and 2) nobody feared the explosion and fire hazards. A couple of years after I witnessed the incident, there was an explosion at the place during exactly such an operation. I am not aware if anyone died at the scene. Roland. Toronto.