Black marketeers were found selling fuel at prices much higher than the normal rate

Kathmandu, November 24

In what may be the biggest single-day crackdown on black marketeers, police today carried out coordinated raids on at least six places in the capital and arrested 37 persons with 4,680 litres of petrol, 550 litres of disel and 22 half-filled Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders.

SP Bishwo Raj Pokharel, spokesperson at the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu, said the black marketeers were arrested from Balaju, Mitra Nagar, Maharajgunj, New Bus Park, Tokha and Purano Baneshwor. “They had brought the fuel to Kathmandu from the southern plains through various channels and were selling the petroleum products at prices much higher than the normal rate,” he informed.

The arrestees were caught selling petrol and diesel from rented rooms, hotels and restaurants for more than Rs 300 per litre. Similarly, Tanka Lal Kayastha of Tokha had allegedly sold cooking gas for Rs 5,000 per cylinder. Fifteen cooking gas cylinders were confiscated from him.

In another incident, and Ram Lakhan Chaudhary of Purano Baneshwor was arrested while selling a half-filled LPG cylinder for Rs 1,000. Police have confiscated seven cooking gas cylinders from him.

SP Pokharel said the arrestees have been charged under the Black Marketing Act.