India, May 25 -- In a crackdown on illegal fuel transport amid reports of fuel shortages in parts of Maharashtra, a tanker carrying 25,000 litres of diesel disguised as edible oil was seized late Friday night, near Kharegaon toll naka on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway.

Police arrested the driver, Dharmendrakumar Shyamlal Patel (37), a resident of Vashi, Navi Mumbai, and seized the tanker worth Rs.22 lakh. Seven others, including tanker owner Ritesh Abhay Narayan Singh from Diva, Thane, and associates from Palghar and Surat, have been named in the case.

Acting on a tip-off, officials intercepted the tanker near the Mumbra diversion road. The vehicle bore an "Edible Oil" label allegedly to evade suspicion. During inspection, officials found di...