03 August,2024 06:58 AM IST | Mumbai | Faisal Tandel
The police seized over 500 cylinders from different brands. Pic/Navneet Barhate
The police, along with social workers, conducted a raid on an unauthorised gas cylinder refilling factory in Ambernath MIDC's Bohonoli village and seized over 500 cylinders from various companies, including Bharat Gas, HP, Go Gas, and Spurthi. The factory was raided at night, and all but two workers had fled the scene.
The Shivaji Nagar police were tipped off about the racket by social worker Vashudev Bhoir on Friday. Bhoir, the complainant in the FIR, said, "I had noticed the illegal activity going on in a temporary shed. During the raid, we found gas from Go cylinders were being filled into Bharat and HP cylinders. The police seized around cylinders that went from 5 kg to 19 kg and 21 kg. They were being refilled here and then sold in the market."
The photogallery here
"This racket was being carried out without any concerns for safety. There are chemical companies in the vicinity, and there was the possibility of a major accident in case of an explosion. None of the local authorities were aware of this unauthorised factory," said a police officer, adding that the fire department had shut down the entire set-up immediately.
