24,000L illegally hoarded fuel seized in M'singh

Authorities in Mymensingh have seized 24,000 litres of illegally stockpiled petroleum and fined the owner of a petrol pump Tk 200,000 during a mobile court operation on Saturday.

The raid was conducted at 'Messrs Poppi Traders', a mini petrol pump located at Paoyari Road in Fulpur upazila's Amuakanda area.

Acting on a tip-off about illegal fuel hoarding, a team led by Fulpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Executive Magistrate Sadia Islam Sima carried out the operation at noon. A thorough search of the pump's storage tanks uncovered 4,500 litres of petrol and 19,500 litres of diesel held without proper authorization.

A mobile court was instantly convened at the site. The pump owner was fined Tk 200,000 under the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009 for the violation.

UNO Sadia Islam Sima stated that the confiscated fuel would be sold to the public through the pump to ensure supply. She warned that such drives would continue to combat artificial fuel shortages.

The operation was conducted in the presence of Fulpur Assistant Commissioner (Land) Shafiqul Islam and Officer-in-Charge of Fulpur Police Station Rashedul Islam.

This follows another recent raid in Haluaghat upazila on Friday night, where 230 litres of hoarded fuel were seized.