According to a press statement released by Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ashok Bhatt on Wednesday, raids were carried out on Neon Fuel Ltd, seven km from Shamlaji. An unlicensed factory spread over four acres was found.

A gas storage tank with a capacity of 10 tonnes was also unearthed during the raids. The team seized 6,000 kg of LPG, 90 empty cylinders and 30 filled cylinders from the site.

The gas used to be sourced illegally from tankers, probably in league with drivers passing from the area, which lies on the border of Gujarat and Rajasthan. The release claimed that this was the first ever illegal LPG bottling factory unearthed in the State.

More significantly, some of the cylinders seized were from the public distribution system which confirms the theory that gas is pilfered from filled cylinders also. The release said that in the past 10 days alone, 23,000 kg of LPG had been illegal refilled in cylinders and supplied in the black market from this factory. The factory has been sealed and legal process against the owner has been started.

In the other case, Navbharat LPG Bottling Plant was raided at Gadhada village in the district from where 7,000 kg LPG and 69 filled cylinders were seized. Further investigation is on.