LUCKNOW, May 8 -- The recent arrest of five members of a gang that stole fuel from tankers has exposed its extensive networking and purported collusion with some police officials. A day after the arrests, six police officers from the state capital's Sarojini Nagar were suspended on Tuesday in connection with the issue.

The gang stole from tankers departing the HPCL depot in Lucknow. It would then replace fuel with a similar looking chemical sourced from Unnao. The stolen fuel was sold at discounted prices in rural areas of Lucknow.

The accused who were caught were identified as Ajay Yadav, 38; mastermind Om Prakash Yadav, 30; Mirajuddin, 30; Jagdeep Prajapati, 29; and Arun Kumar, 22, all of whom hailed from Lucknow or its nearby areas, ...