Pokhara, August 25:

Police seized five petroleum tankers and arrested the drivers on the charge of adulterating diesel and petrol yesterday. However, the drivers denied the accusation.

The tankers were impounded after police found the drivers mixing kerosene from one tanker to another in Ram Bazaar. According to the Ram Bazaar Ward Police Office, the petrol tankers can empty the fuel only at the designated depots but they were doing it midway.

The drivers claimed that they were unloading kerosene in one tanker, diesel in other and petrol in still other tanker so as to transport the fuel to Syangja, Parbat, Myagdi and Baglung districts. “If we follow the NOC provision, we have to go to Baglung from Syangja with only 4,000 litres of petrol and the transport cost becomes dear,” they said.