Three under police’s scanner for selling ‘cheat’ chips

Mumbai: Three are under the Thane police radar for allegedly selling electronic “cheat” chips to fuel stations for manipulation of discharge of fuel. The Thane police has raided and shut down seven fuel stations in Khopoli, Pune and Nashik, arresting five managers.

The police is searching for the source of these chips being used by the three suspects. A Dombivali-based electronics post-graduate was arrested by a UP police team last month for supplying such chips to fuel station owners in UP and three new suspects have now been added by the Thane police. A crime branch official said, “Police teams have been formed to track the accused to arrest them as early as possible.”

The police has received details of more than 100 petrol pumps in Maharashtra, especially near suburban Mumbai, that are cheating people by dispensing lower quantities of fuel. Crime branch DCP Abhishek Trimukhe said, “Based on the information we had, we have coordinated with police stations across the state and raided petrol pumps at Pune, Nashik and Khopoli. We have arrested five accused and sealed seven petrol pumps in these areas. The arrested accused are managers of the oil companies.”

Sources from the Thane crime branch said, “We have got information that there are several chipmakers staying in Maharashtra and they are selling these chips to people outside of the state. We have got information about three of the suspects making the chips and selling them.”