Chennai, April 21: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a diesel smuggling racket in the guise of mineral spirit by some operators based in Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and here, an official statement said on Saturday.
Diesel is a restricted commodity for import as per the Foreign Trade Policy and can be imported only by oil marketing companies.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Finance Ministry said the diesel was being brought from Dubai in huge quantitites regularly through containers at Chennai Port for further illegal sale in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Searches were carried out by DRI officials in Hyderabad and Chennai with the support of Andhra Pradesh state intelligence at various places in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu from April 17 onwards and it was found that 14 containers imported at Chennai Port in the name of SAF Petroleum and Aditya Marine landed at Sanco Container Freight Station here and Gateway Container Freight Station were found carrying 263.78 ton (around three lakh litres) of diesel but declared as mineral spirit.
The operators based in Kakinada hatched a plan to smuggle diesel as mineral spirit, it said, adding that they not only smuggled in the diesel as mineral spirit but also under declared its value by around 60 per cent and evaded customs duty.
The operators had offices in Kakinada, a storage yard at Maraimalai Nagar here and an office front at Guindy here to facilitate said smuggling and distribution.
A relative of one of the operators from Kakinada was looking after the logistics, moving the diesel into the grey markets in Chennai, Kakinada, Ongole and parts of Telangana, the statement said.
Dummy companies were opened in Dubai to purchase diesel and import the same to Chennai by creating false documents and invoices.
The price difference was being adjusted by payments through hawala channels.
It is found that in the past these operators have smuggled around 5,366 ton (around 63 lakh litres) of diesel valued at around Rs.17.7 crore, which comes to around 285 containers.
Four persons, including the mastermind and one hawala operator have been arrested under Customs Act 1962, the statement said.
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US cyber agency chief Madhu Gottumukkala under scrutiny for uploading sensitive files to ChatGPT
Washington: Dr. Madhu Gottumukkala, the acting head of the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), is facing scrutiny after reportedly uploading sensitive government documents to the public version of ChatGPT, triggering automated security alerts and an internal review.
According to a report by Politico, Gottumukkala uploaded documents related to government contracts and cybersecurity matters during the summer of 2025 for official work purposes. While the documents were not classified, they were marked “For Official Use Only” (FOUO), meaning they were not intended for public disclosure.
Officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Politico that the uploads activated internal safeguards designed to flag the sharing of protected government material on public platforms. The incident prompted an internal review to determine whether any sensitive information may have been exposed.
The development has drawn attention because CISA is the federal agency responsible for protecting US government networks from advanced cyber threats, including those believed to be backed by foreign states such as Russia and China.
Who Is Madhu Gottumukkala?
Dr. Madhu Gottumukkala, who is of Indian origin, currently serves as the acting director of CISA. He holds a PhD in Information Systems from Dakota State University, an MBA in Engineering and Technology Management from the University of Dallas, an MS in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Andhra University.
What triggered the ChatGPT security concern?
The controversy centres on the use of ChatGPT, a public artificial intelligence platform developed by OpenAI. Information entered into the public version of the tool may be stored and used to improve the system, raising concerns about whether government-related data could have been inadvertently retained or exposed.
Although the materials uploaded were not classified, officials emphasised that FOUO documents are still considered sensitive and subject to strict handling protocols.
CISA’s response
CISA sought to play down concerns surrounding the incident. In an email response to Politico, agency spokesperson Marci McCarthy said Gottumukkala had official permission to use ChatGPT under specific DHS safeguards.
“Acting Director Dr. Madhu Gottumukkala last used ChatGPT in mid-July 2025 under an authorised temporary exception,” McCarthy said, adding that CISA’s standard policy remains to block access to ChatGPT unless a formal exception is granted.
The issue has attracted added attention due to previous reports involving Gottumukkala. Politico had earlier reported that several CISA employees were placed on leave after Gottumukkala allegedly failed a polygraph test that he had supported introducing. Gottumukkala has disputed that account and told lawmakers that he did not agree with that characterisation.
