Paradip, Sept. 21: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, during a pre-dawn swoop today, recovered Rs 50 lakh worth of smuggled scrap and structure materials from the Paradip oil refinery project site.

“The seized materials were stolen from the refinery project and were recovered from the Sandhakuda slum settlement on the outskirts of Paradip,” said assistant commandant, CISF, S.S. Mohanty.

“We caught two persons moving suspiciously in a boat near the south boundary wall of the refinery project. After chasing them, the duo were apprehended from Sandhakuda colony. They confessed to smuggling materials from the refinery complex. Raid on godowns at a slum led to the seizure of hoarded structure materials,” said a CISF official.

The materials are usually hoarded near the boundary wall. A group of contractual labourers took materials to the boundary wall and later carried the consignments out on boats.

The southern portion of the project boundary is encircled by creeks and water-inlets. This helped them ferry the products with ease, said an official.

“We have made a list of at least of 50 persons directly or indirectly involved in the racket. Raids are being conducted to nab them,” said Mohanty.