Lucknow, July 13 -- Four people have been arrested in Lucknow for allegedly operating an organised racket involved in fuel theft, petrol and diesel adulteration, and black marketing of petroleum products under the Lucknow Police's 'Operation Ethanol Shield', officials said.

The arrested accused have been identified as Anil Kumar (36), Abhishek Rajput (25), Dheeraj Singh (33) and Ramtirth (35).

According to Lucknow Police, the Crime Branch launched the operation after receiving inputs about organised networks involved in fuel theft, illegal storage, adulteration and unauthorised sale of petroleum products. The operation also focused on examining concerns regarding misinformation linking ethanol-blended petrol with vehicle damage and inve...