Pune: Hundreds of cylinders seized in Kasarwadi amid West Asia gas crisis

Hundreds of LPG cylinders stockpile busted in Kasarwadi area of PimpriChinchwad on Friday in PuneActing on complaints from citizens about suspected hoarding of domestic LPG cylinders officials from the Food and Drug Administration FDA along with PimpriChinchwad police and district administration conducted a raid on an allegedly the shop and its godown in KasarwadiDuring the operation authorities seized hundreds of LPG cylinders that were reportedly stored illegally amid the ongoing gas supply crisis triggered by tensions in West AsiaAccording to officials the raid was conducted at a private godown in the Kasarwadi area of PimpriChinchwad after residents alerted authorities about illegal storage of domestic gas cylinders Preliminary investigation suggests that the premises was operating as an unauthorised storage facilityVijay Kumar Kshirsagar Circle Officer PimpriChinchwad saidldquoAs per the complaint received from citizens we visited the spot It is Bharat Gas Agency and Pimple Gas Agency distributing this We first checked their shop and later the godown in the Kasarwadi area The process of filing the case is going on All the LPG cylinders have been seizedrdquoDuring the inspection officials discovered that large numbers of LPG cylinders were stored inside two old vehicles parked within the godown which were allegedly being used as makeshift storage unitsPolice officials stated that one of the vehicles contained 29 filled LPG cylinders of 10 kg capacity along with 19 empty cylinders of the same category and 207 empty domestic cylindersIn the second vehicle officials found 57 domestic LPG cylinders of 145 kg capacityAll the cylinders have been seized and the authorities have begun the process of registering a case against those responsibleOfficials said that the cylinders were linked to Bharat Gas Agency and Pimple Gas Agency and the distribution chain is currently being examinedAuthorities are now investigating whether the cylinders were being illegally stored for blackmarketing or for refilling domestic cylinders into commercial ones which is a punishable offenceThe raid comes at a time when Pune and PimpriChinchwad are facing restrictions in commercial LPG supply due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia which have disrupted global energy supply chainsOfficials suspect that some operators may be hoarding domestic cylinders to create artificial scarcity and sell them at higher pricesIn view of the situation the PimpriChinchwad police commissionerate has intensified monitoring of LPG storage facilities and distribution pointsPolice Commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey had recently warned of strict action against anyone involved in illegal transfer of LPG from domestic cylinders to commercial cylindersAll police stations and crime branch units have been directed to keep a close watch on such activities to prevent shortages for genuine domestic consumersInvestigation UnderwayOfficials confirmed that the godownrsquos authorisation status is being verified and further legal action will follow based on the findings A panchnama process was underway at the site and additional scrutiny of records and supply chains is expected in the coming daysPolice Appeal to CitizensAuthorities have urged citizens to report any suspicious activity related to LPG storage illegal refilling or black marketingHelpline NumbersPimpriChinchwad Police Control Room0202735260002027352500Mobile Contact9529691966Emergency Helpline112Citizens noticing illegal storage or sale of LPG cylinders are requested to immediately inform the police so that strict action can be taken against offenders