A total of 973 liters of petrol was stolen from a fuel tanker parked at the premises of the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) Koshi Provincial Office in Biratnagar.
After confirming the fuel theft, NOC imposed a penalty on the transporter in accordance with prevailing regulations, recovering double the value of the stolen fuel.
According to the corporation, the tanker bearing registration number Ko 1 Kha 6910, operated by Shree Nabin Dhuwani Sewa Pvt. Ltd., had transported 20,000 liters of petrol from the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Siliguri Depot on June 20 (Asar 6).
The tanker arrived at a parking area in Kanchanbari, approximately 300 meters from the NOC office in Biratnagar, at around 8:00 a.m. on June 21 (Asar 7). However, on the following morning, the transporter informed NOC that the tanker had gone missing from the parking site.
Following the report, NOC immediately notified the Morang District Police Office. A review of CCTV footage by police and NOC officials showed that the tanker left the parking area at 3:03 a.m. and headed toward the Nobel Hospital area.
During a search operation, the tanker was found abandoned on the Postal Highway in Bhokraha Rural Municipality–8, Sunsari, approximately 17 kilometers from Biratnagar.
According to NOC Koshi Provincial Office Chief Pushkar Karki, the lock of the tanker had been cut when it was recovered. A formal inspection report was prepared in the presence of police, NOC officials, and the transporter before the tanker was resealed and brought back to the depot.
On Wednesday, officials from the District Administration Office Morang, District Police Office Morang, journalists, NOC representatives, and the transporter jointly opened the seal and measured the fuel quantity.
The inspection confirmed that only 19,027 liters of petrol remained, indicating that 973 liters had been stolen. The remaining fuel was unloaded into NOC’s storage facility.
Under the provisions of the Petroleum Products Transportation Regulation, 2073 (2016), NOC has recovered twice the value of the stolen petrol from the transporter and initiated further action, stating that negligence by parties involved in transportation contributed to the incident.
Key Facts
- Petrol loaded from Siliguri, India: 20,000 liters
- Petrol found in tanker: 19,027 liters
- Petrol stolen: 973 liters
- Location recovered: Bhokraha Rural Municipality–8, Sunsari
- Penalty imposed: Double the value of stolen fuel recovered from transporter
- Reason for action: Negligence during fuel transportation and security management.
