Mumbai: Amid concerns over a shortage of cooking gas cylinders in Mumbai, a major theft has been reported from the Charkop area of Kandivali West, where unidentified thieves allegedly stole 27 cylinders from a delivery vehicle after breaking into it, police said on Saturday. 

According to officials, the incident took place on the intervening night of March 25 and 26. The accused targeted a tempo used for gas distribution and decamped with 27 cylinders, including five filled and 22 empty ones.

The Mumbai Police said a case has been registered at Charkop Police Station against unknown persons, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the culprits.

The complainant, Nandkumar Ramraj Soni (35), a resident of Jai Janata Nagar in Malad West, has been working as a delivery agent with Shriji Gas Service in Charkop for the past seven years.

He delivers LPG cylinders to customers from door-to-door using a tempo, which is the primary source of livelihood for his family.

On March 25, Soni carried out his routine delivery duties and later, around 11 P.M., parked the tempo in the Charkop area before returning home. The vehicle was loaded with cylinders meant for distribution the next day, officials said.

However, when he returned to the spot at around 8 A.M. on March 26, he found the vehicle tampered with. The glass window of the tempo had been smashed, and the rear lock was broken.

Upon checking, Soni discovered that all the cylinders had been stolen. The total value of the stolen cylinders has been estimated at around Rs 15,500.

Initially, Soni contacted his colleagues to verify whether the cylinders had been moved, but after receiving no information, he approached the police and lodged a complaint.

A police official said that multiple teams have been formed to track down the accused. CCTV footage from the area has captured some suspicious individuals along with vehicles, and efforts are being made to identify them.

Investigators are also questioning individuals linked to scrap markets and illegal gas trade networks to trace the stolen cylinders.

Police said the investigation is being carried out from all possible angles, considering the seriousness of the case, and expressed confidence that the accused will be apprehended soon.

(IANS)