Two Oil thieves in cops' net at Lahowal

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

DULIAJAN, Oct 31: Based on specific information, OIL security team,Tingri police and Lahowal police on Saturday morning arrested two persons with a pick-up  van carrying large quantity of condensed oil, near Lahowal police station.

The two were allegedly involved in stealing OIL’s condensed oil. The arrested persons have been identified as Dulu Konower (40), son of Jadav Konower and Uma Cheleng, son of Chandra Cheleng, both residents of Mahmora Chowngili village in Sivasagar district. According to sources, they carried 2,400 litres of condensed oil stolen from OIL in a Xenon pick-up bearing registration No.AS-06-AC-6844 from Kathalguri area and were on their way to Dibrugarh.  OIL security, Tingri police in association with Lahowal police arrested the two thieves with 12 drums of condensed oil, each containing two litres.

The company has a security set-up to guard its men and machinery in Duliajan and operations areas. Sources said this security apparatus might not be up to the mark, giving pipe thieves an open field to operate.

The company has hundreds of wells scattered over thousands of square km in its operatiol areas. Many of these wells have been closed down and surveillance in these areas is almost nil.

At times, the company maintains stores in these areas and hires the services of urmed private guards. A company insider said iron thieves and scrap merchants often lure these poorly paid guards with money. Sources said the company had stocked new and valuable imported high-end iron and steel pipes, used for gas lines, at OCS 7.