Rawalpindi   -  Police have booked a gang of thieves for stealing crude oil worth millions of rupees from the pipelines of Pakistan Oil Field Limited (POL) in the Dhama Syedan area, according to informed sources.

The case against the gang involved in crude oil theft was registered at Police Station Saddar Bairooni based on a complaint by Security Officer POL, Shahid Ahmed, under sections 379/427/285/286/462B of PPC, they said. Additionally, police have launched a manhunt to arrest the fleeing members of the gang involved in stealing refined oil, who were identified as Aman Ullah, Naqeeb Ullah, and Ishtiaq Hussain Shah, along with the owner of the house and other accused, said a police spokesman.

According to sources, Shahid Ahmed, a security officer of POL, lodged a complaint with Police Station Saddar Bairooni, stating that POL used to supply crude or refined oil from Khor to Attock Refinery Rawalpindi through pipelines. It was observed that the pipeline had been used to steal oil for many months in Dhama Syedan, resulting in the theft of hundreds of barrels of oil. Subsequently, the employees of POL traced the oil theft by the men by cutting the pipeline in Dhama Syedan for selling it in the market. Shahid Ahmed informed the police that the gang had stored the stolen oil in a house they had rented. He reported that the POL team witnessed five men stealing oil from the pipeline who managed to flee from the scene.

The applicant informed the police that the gang had stolen thousands of barrels of crude oil worth millions of rupees so far from the supply line and urged them to register a case against the thieves. Police filed a case and initiated an investigation.