Thane: Three booked for illegally stocking, transporting biodiesel

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An offence has been registered against three persons for alleged illegal stocking, transport and sale of biodiesel in Maharashtra's Thane district, police told news agency PTI on Tuesday.

A case under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code was on August 4 registered against the accused, Moin Hamid Shaikh and Anjum Yasim Shaikh, who are dealers of petroleum products, and an unidentified person, an official told PTI.

Moin imported biodiesel from abroad and sold it to Anjum and the duo allegedly fabricated documents to show that they were transporting mineral oil for sale, he said.

The police in June seized 27,500 litres of biodiesel, which was being transported by the accused using fake documents, the official told PTI, adding that the seized fuel was worth Rs 18.7 lakh.

Meanwhile, police have arrested a 21-year-old man after seizing mephedrone, a banned drug, worth Rs 10.40 lakh from his possession in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official told PTI on Tuesday.

During routine patrolling, a police team spotted the man moving in a suspicious manner on Goandevi Mandir road in Bhayander area on Saturday, senior police inspector Rahul Rakh of the Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar police's central crime unit told PTI.

The police stopped him and during a search seized 52 gm of mephedrone (MD) worth Rs 10.40 lakh from his possession, the official said in a release.

The accused, identified as Ankit Bharat Jadhav, was arrested and booked under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, he said.

The police were trying to find out from where he got the contraband and to whom he intended to sell it, the official said.

In another incident, two unidentified persons took away the gold ornaments of a 70-year-old man in Dombivli in Thane district of Maharashtra by distracting his attention as they made him chant a mantra, police told PTI on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on Monday morning when the victim was taking a walk.

"Two unidentified persons approached him and started a conversation. They made him chant 'Aum Namah Shivay' and relieved him of his gold ornaments and cash collectively worth Rs 52,700," the FIR said, reported PTI.

A case was registered under section 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and further investigation is underway, an official told PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)