DUBAI: A gang caught smuggling semi-filled cooking gas attributed to a government company, inside a refrigerated truck, has been jailed for one year and fined Dhs20,000 each.

Both Asian men – the truck’s driver, 29, and a compatriot car washer, 39 – with the help of a fugitive accomplice duplicated a government company’s plastic seals and fixed them on the refilled gas cylinders’ valves.

They loaded the flammable gas cylinders into the refrigerated truck, and hazardously transported and dealt in them in violation of laws, cheated the company’s clients and put users’ lives at risk.

They ran the illicit business smuggling the gas under the directives of a fugitive boss who worked for a certain gas company. The incident came to light on Sept.19, the Dubai Criminal Court learnt.

The government company’s operations Emirati technician said he had earlier spotted the duo placing gas cylinders into the truck. He did not suspect they were smuggling duplicate gas intended for sale.

However, following a wave of complaints that gangs were making use of refrigerated trucks to smuggle duplicate gas cylinders it came to his mind that the duo were committing the same crime.

He monitored the truck and spotted it twice in Al Khawaneej area. The duo was distributing gas cylinders. He intercepted them. They looked extremely scared and perplexed, he said.

Upon questioning them the driver confessed the truck contained gas cylinders. He stepped out and opened the rear door. The technician realised the cylinders belonged to his workplace.

The driver revealed a manager at a certain gas company was their supplier who had tasked them with distributing the gas cylinders against cash rewards.

He added that he would transport the cylinders and distribute them in various areas in Dubai. Cooking gas transport trucks would pick them from there and take them to the market.

The car washer, on being questioned, argued that it was the first time he escorted the driver and that he was not aware of the smuggling operations.

The technician examined the cylinders and discovered they were partially filled and the seals on their valves were counterfeit.