Oil theft foiled as secret tunnel found at National Refinery in Karachi

An attempt to steal oil from the National Oil Refinery (NOR) pipeline in Karachi was foiled as police uncovered the largest tunnel ever found in the city’s history and arrested four suspects, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Thursday.

According to the details, the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the police said it acted on a tip-off and thwarted the plan before any major damage could occur, saving the Korangi Industrial Area from a potential disaster.

The suspects had dug a 140-metre-long tunnel to tap into the refinery’s pipeline carrying oil to Punjab. The tunnel was accessed through a well more than 16 feet deep, dug inside a cloth warehouse in Mehran Town.

Police officials said that more than 15 feet of excavation had been carried out within the warehouse to reach the pipeline. The tunnel, about four feet wide, was extended from the base of the well directly to the National Oil Refinery line.

The SIU received information from a confidential informer that large quantities of soil were being removed from a warehouse and dumped into the Malir River. Acting on the lead, a team headed by Sub-Inspector Awais conducted a raid and arrested four suspects from the site.

During the search, officers found a well in one of the rooms of the warehouse, concealed with wooden planks and covered with sacks of cloth to avoid detection. On further inspection, the tunnel was discovered leading towards the refinery pipeline.

Police said clips and pipes intended for siphoning oil, along with tools used to dig the tunnel, were recovered from the suspects. The operation, officials added, prevented a serious security threat and possible environmental and industrial damage in the area.

The area police said that the SUPARCO administration had been informed about the incident, while further investigation was underway to determine if more people were involved in the plot.

Reporter: Ahsan Abbasi