KATHMANDU: Police said they arrested 124 racketeers involved in black marketing of petroleum products taking advantage of the current fuel shortage in the nation triggered by the blockade at the Nepal-India border, in past one month.

As many as 86 black marketers from the Capital and other 38 from outside the Kathmandu Valley have been arrested in actions taken by police at 109 places against the black marketeers of petroleum from October 26  to November 27.

Police have seized 33,492 litres of petrol; 27,893 litres of diesel; 1,415 litres of kerosene and 79 cylinders of cooking gas. Among which, 11,413 litres of petrol; 24,290 litres of diesel; 1,375 litres of kerosene and 58 cylinders of cooking gas have been seized from the Capital.

In the action taken against the racketeers, Punyaram Bakhadya, the owner of Bhaktapur Fuel Centre at Adarsha Chowk in Bhaktapur Municipality-7, was arrested on November 22 for altering fuel dispenser measurement metre.

Likewise, Bhimsen KC (41) of Makawanpur district, the manager of Prabin Oil Store at Gaththaghar in Thimi Municipality-15 of Bhaktapur has also been arrested in police raid after the discovery of chips used to control the pump.