Four held for attempting to steal oil from National Refinery

KARACHI:

The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) foiled an attempt to steal oil from the National Oil Refinery by uncovering an underground tunnel in the Korangi Industrial Area on Thursday. The operation, carried out by SIU police in the Mehran Town area, led to the discovery of a well-planned oil theft scheme.

According to SIU Sub-Inspector Owais Tanoli, the criminals had dug a 15 to 16-foot deep well inside a clothing warehouse in Mehran Town. From the bottom of the well, they constructed an approximately 140-metre-long and four-foot-wide tunnel, which was intended to reach the oil pipeline connected to the National Oil Refinery.

The SIU had received a tip-off from a reliable informant about large quantities of earth being dumped into the Malir River from the warehouse. Acting on this information, Sub-Inspector Owais Tanoli led a raid on the warehouse, where the tunnel was uncovered.

During the raid, four suspects were arrested. Police recovered pipes, clamps, and tools used to dig the tunnel, which had been specifically designed for oil theft. SIU officials confirmed that the timely action had averted a major potential disaster in the Korangi Industrial Area.