13 arrested for stealing coal worth millions

LAHORE:

The Railways Police have arrested 13 persons, including a group master and assistant station manager, for allegedly being involved in looting and selling bogies containing imported coal worth tens of millions of rupees.

Inspector General Faisal Shahkar took action after he was informed that freight trains were booked to transport imported coal from the port and that the bogies carrying it were also identified.

However, at Yusufwala, Sahiwal, coal was found to be removed from two bogies of each train. The IG formed a special team for this operation.

Investigation revealed that the trains would stop on a dry bridge between Dhabeji and Ran Pethani for 10 minutes, during which bogies were opened and stolen.

Kamran was identified as the person who used to sell coal in private vehicles through labourers.

Each time coal was stolen, the same train driver, guard and assistant train driver were on duty. Station Master Mushtaq, Assistant Station Master Salman, Guard Irfan and Train Driver Matool Hussain were the ones involved in stealing coal.

Kamran would then sell the coal to a man named Rana Riaz in Faisalabad.

Due to this theft, railways coal requirement was not being met and tens of millions of rupees were being lost on a daily basis.

IG Shahkar said it was a case of massive corruption, which was harming the national exchequer.

A case was registered against the accused persons and further investigation was launched.