The Baleswar police busted an inter-State racket, which was stealing crude oil after making holes in pipeline between Pradip and Haldia and arrested nine persons, including two from the local area, on Thursday.
They were forwarded to court and further sent to jail on rejection of their bail petitions.
The accused persons were identified as Ramnarayan Yadav (32) of Gorakhpur district under Harpur police station of UP, Pradeep Kumar (28) of Rampur , Etawah, UP, Sk Feroz (23) of Ekbalpore, Kolkata, Samir Hossai (35) of Ekbalpore, WB, labhdeep Singh (28) of Goindbad, Taranatran, Punjab, Malkib Singh (25) of Tarantaran, Punjab, Prince Singh (24) of Asansol, Burdwan, Maheswar Das (27) and Ranjit Das (24) of Sindhia , Baleswar Sadar.
The police after nabbing them from a roadside dhaba near Rupsa, seized a oil loaded tanker, bearing registration number Nl02l-5966, a Bolero jeep with registration number JH-18-D-9758, a Honda Activa motor cycle, a Suzuki zixxer OD-01H-8977 and two swords.
Briefing mediapersons, Rupsa police station OIC Ashok Nayak said the gang had made cuts in the underground pipeline near Odingi and filled oil in a pit.
later, they loaded the oil in tanker. They were to ferry the crude oil to West Bengal for further refining and disposing.
The police said another car which was escorting the tanker managed to speed away.
The accused said a syndicate was active in different States stealing oil by cutting the pipeline in different vulnerable patches.