On March 25, in a significant operation against unlawful LPG activities, the Crime Branch of Delhi Police seized 183 Indane gas cylinders from various warehouses located in Sangam Vihar. This operation revealed a substantial hoarding and illegal refilling scheme, leading to the arrest of four individuals, all of whom are registered delivery personnel for a licensed LPG agency.

The operation was initiated based on reliable intelligence, prompting the Crime Branch to execute synchronized raids across three rented locations in the L Block area of Sangam Vihar, South Delhi. Under the supervision of ACP Satendra Mohan, the operation resulted in the confiscation of 154 filled cylinders and 29 empty ones, along with equipment used for refilling, highlighting serious breaches of safety regulations.

The arrested individuals—Sher Singh (35), Suraj Parihar (36), Raghu Raj Singh (53), and Jitender Sharma (39)—were caught illegally storing cylinders intended for daily distribution and transferring LPG from filled to empty cylinders using iron pipes, pokers, and weighing scales. These unlawfully filled cylinders were then sold in the open market at inflated prices, leading to significant profits.

DCP/ANTF Rahool Alwal stated, “This operation underscores a blatant misuse of the LPG distribution framework, taking advantage of the public's anxiety regarding cylinder shortages.”

The seizures from the raids were as follows: First Location: 58 filled and 7 empty cylinders; 2 iron pipes, 1 iron poker, and 1 electronic weighing scale (involved: Sher Singh and Suraj Parihar). Second Location: 59 filled and 7 empty cylinders; 3 iron pipes, 1 iron poker, and 1 electronic weighing scale (involved: Raghu Raj Singh). Third Location: 37 filled and 15 empty cylinders; 1 iron pipe, 1 iron poker, and 1 electronic weighing scale (involved: Jitender Sharma).

The method employed involved extracting 1–2 kg of LPG from each cylinder, which was then transferred into empty cylinders for sale in the market. All four suspects are registered delivery personnel for an authorized Indane LPG agency responsible for distribution in Sangam Vihar.

A case has been filed under Sections 3 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act and Section 125/3(5) BNS at the Crime Branch Police Station, with further investigations ongoing.

The Delhi Police has committed to continuing such operations to ensure the lawful distribution of essential goods and to protect residents from exploitation.