The Madukkarai police have arrested two persons on charges of pilfering tar and fuel from tanker trucks which drivers park on the side of Salem - Kochi highway and stocking them for illegal sales. In the first incident, M. Gnanaprakasam (48) a resident of Rajagnapathi Nagar at Malumichampatti, was arrested by the police on Wednesday. According to the police, a team that was on a patrol at Seerapalayam near Madukkarai found Gnanaprakasam standing near five barrels of tar. When asked about the tar, he gave contradicting statements to the police. During the preliminary investigation, it was found that Gnanaprakasam used to pilfer tar from tanker trucks which drivers park on the side of Salem – Kochi highway when they go to hotels to have food or when they take rest. The person told the police that he would pilfer tar by opening the valve and shift it to his place in metal barrels. He had been selling tar to private persons for the purpose of laying roads in their properties, the police said. According to the police, Gnanaprakasam owned two tanker trucks and also used to pilfer diesel and petrol. He had been selling diesel and petrol in the blackmarket, they said. Gnanaprakasam was arrested for offences under different Sections of the Indian Penal Code and of the Petroleum Act. The police seized his two tankers and 775 kg of tar from him. He was remanded in judicial custody. The police arrested another person, I. Ponraj (33) of Amman Nagar at Machampalayam, based on specific information that he had been pilfering and illegally stocking tar. The police searched his warehouse at Lakshmi Nagar and seized 775 kg of tar and a mini-truck. According to the police, he also followed the same modus operandi of stealing tar from parked container trucks.
