The Economic Offences Wing of city police has busted an illegal diesel pump that was being operated from inside shipping containers on a pavement outside the Mahim railway station. The suspects had a BMC contract to collect waste and clean garbage vehicles and were running the well-oiled business in the guise of doing civic work. The police have arrested the supervisor of the contractor and named its directors in the case.

The seemingly innocuous metal structures, seen across the city to host temporary offices, were equipped with huge drums, meters and a fuel dispenser, said officers from the control branch of EOW. The illegal pump near the Dharavi bus stop had its own set of clientele and used to sell poor quality diesel for R60 a litre.