The Police had arrested 137 people in various parts of the country over the past few days for hoarding large volumes of fuel to be sold at higher prices later.
Police Media Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that as the police had received many complaints of people obtaining fuel from filling stations and selling it at higher prices, the police had carried out 429 raids across the country to nab these persons engaged in illegally hoarding fuel.
During these raids, the police had seized 27,000 litres of petrol, 22,000 litres of diesel and 10,000 litres of kerosene, he added.
Therefore, the police urged the public to inform the police of such persons who hoard fuel via the hotlines 0118, 1997 or 119.
Intelligence officers attached to each police division have also been given instructions to carry out investigations into the tip-offs received on mixing fuel for sale. Those engaged in this illegal activity would be charged under the Regulation and Control of the distribution and use of Petroleum Act No. 37 of 1979 and these raids would be carried out by the police in coordination with the specialist officers of the Petroleum Corporation.
The Police Spokesperson urged the public to refrain from stocking fuel as it is dangerous and could harm not only those hoarding it but others in the vicinity as well. He also noted that these raids would continue and urged the public to refrain from hoarding fuel.
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