TANKER TRUCK OIL PILFERAGE

Recently pilferage of edible oil transported in tank truck was detected by ASIIPL!

After receiving a complaint of one metric tonneweight difference in the gross weight of a tank truck between Loading Terminal and Buyer's receiving factory about 500 km away, an ASIIPL Surveyor was deputed to the Buyer's factory, where the tank truck was detained, to investigate the possible causes of shortage.

The ASIIPL Surveyor verified all the seals that were affixed on the tank truck and found them intact with all the seal numbers matching with the documents issued by the loading Terminal.

The main shut-off valve strings were in order and the lever was in closed position and boxed up and sealed. The seals of the valve box were intact with seal numbers matching with the documents issued by the loading Terminal.

Upon inspection of the manhole covers on the top of the tank truck, the ASIIPL Surveyor observed that the manhole fitted on each of the four cargo compartments were closed with a steel manhole cover that was fixed with bolts and the manhole was then boxed in with an outer steel door on hinges and the steel door was provided with a latch for locking or sealing. However, our Surveyor found that the pin of the hinge of the outer manhole cover door could be easily removed and that would enable the outer door to be lifted enough to insert a flexible pipe through the hose inlet pipe of the manhole to siphon out the cargo from the cargo tank of the tank truck! Normally, the ends of the hinge pin should be welded to the hinge slot at both ends, so that the pin cannot be removed. Please refer below photographsthat illustrate the above mentioned findings.

Further, while inspecting the main shut-off valve at the bottom part of the tank truck body the ASIIPL Surveyor observed that the wire ropes connecting the lever of the shut-off valve to the main operating lever that is housed inside a box at the rear end of the tank truck was tied to PVC tape and cotton rag. The box that houses the 4 operating levers of the shut-off valves of each tank compartment were sealed before despatch from the loading point and the said seal for the shut-off valves operating lever box was found sealed and seals were intact on arrival at the Buyer's factory. However, the PVC tape and cotton rag tied to the lever operating wire ropes caused suspicion that the shut-off valve may have been opened by pulling the wire rope underneath the tank truck body without opening the sealed main control box of the operating levers. The bolts of the flange connecting the elbow pipe of the shut-off valve to the outlet pipe of the tank compartment can be loosened to pilfer the oil from the compartment after opening the main shut-off valve in the manner described above. Please refer below photograph that illustrate the above mentioned findings.

Based on the findings of our investigation as reported above, it was concluded that there are two possibleways in which pilferageof edible oil may have been done in this truck to account for a difference of one metric tonne of oil between loading point and destination:

1. Top manhole cover could have been easily opened by removing the pin in the hingeto siphon out the oil with a flexible pipe passing through the filling pipe.
2. Loosening a pipe flange between the shut-off valve and the outlet pipe and opening the shut-off valve by pulling the wire rope underneath the tank truck body to drain out oil.