Guwahati Police on Sunday busted an illegal LPG refilling operation in the Sawkuchi area, arresting four people who were allegedly siphoning cooking gas from large cylinders into mini cylinders in a dangerously unsafe manner. An EGPD team from Basistha Police Station raided a premises at Sankar Path, Sawkuchi, where the accused were found illegally storing gas cylinders and transferring LPG “in an unsafe manner, posing a serious risk and hazard,” according to police.
The four arrested were identified as Rakib Ali (31) and Rinku Ali (23), both of Bherbheri in Tamulpur, Baksa; Rajibul Houque (30) of Sorupeta in Patacharkuchi, Bajali; and Abdul Latif (38) of Gangapur in Belsor, Nalbari.
The raid revealed the scale of the operation. Police recovered 152 mini LPG cylinders, 16 full cylinders and 25 empty ones, along with eight gas pipes fitted with double-sided regulators, four 20-litre water drums reportedly used for transferring LPG, a weighing machine and four Android mobile phones. Police said legal action has been initiated.
Mini cylinders themselves are not illegal. Official 5-kg free-trade cylinders, such as Indian Oil’s “Chhotu,” can be bought legally from authorised distributors, retail outlets and select shops with a government-issued ID. However, refilling them is prohibited under the Gas Cylinders Rules, 2016, because of the serious safety risk involved. Legally sold cylinders must also meet Bureau of Indian Standards norms and carry an ISI mark.
The danger is real. Siphoning LPG from a large cylinder into a small one using improvised pipes and regulators creates the risk of overfilling, leaks and sparks, any of which can cause a fire or explosion. A room packed with dozens of cylinders in a densely populated neighbourhood could turn a small accident into a disaster.
Speaking to GPlus, a gas cylinder seller in the city explained why the illegal business thrives. A mini cylinder holds around 4 litres of LPG and is sold for about ₹500. Because the price is high, some people refill small cylinders illegally and sell them for profit. The main customers, he said, are young people, especially students in rented rooms in Guwahati who do not have an LPG subscription, as well as frequent travellers.
For consumers, buying an unmarked cylinder offers no safety assurance. Authorities advise purchasing mini cylinders only from authorised distributors or retailers, checking for official markings, and avoiding cylinders sold at informal outlets with no proper labelling.
Original Source: https://www.guwahatiplus.com/guwahati/how-demand-from-students-and-tenants-fuels-guwahatis-mini-lpg-trade
Category: Guwahati
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Publish Date: 2026-10-26 18:23:00
