Police on Thursday intercepted 15 vehicles that were smuggling petroleum products and cooking gas cylinders into Kathmandu Valley.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range, Teku, said over 26,000 litres of fuel (7,502 litre petrol, 15,980 litre diesel, 2,573 litre kerosene) and 37 gas cylinders were confiscated.

“We have stepped up vigilance because many vehicles are smuggling petroleum products,” said SP Bishwo Raj Pokhrel. “Ferrying large quantity of fuel in public transports has also posed risk to passengers’ safety.” A litre of petrol is being sold for up to Rs 400 inside the Valley.

NOC fuel station sealed

Shortage of petroleum products has also given rise to the cases of petrol stations rigging their pumps across the country.

Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM) on Thursday sealed a Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC)-owned fuel station in Siddharthanagar, Bhairahawa. The station had installed double gear (rotating crank) in the fuel pumping device to cheat customers. By tampering with fuel meter, the fuel station had been cheating its customers on the quantity of fuel. Roshan Gautam, monitoring officer of NBSM unit in Bhairahawa, sealed the fuel station after finding the rotating gears inside the adjustor cover. He added that the fuel station had been found cheating on the fuel quantity in the past as well.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Ali Khan, an official at the NOC branch office, claimed that the fuel station was sealed without concrete evidence. “It is not possible to change the internal structure of the pump without breaking the authority’s seal,” he said.  

Chitra Ranjan Das, the in-charge of the NOC branch office, said the NBSM’s action will only impede fuel distribution.

Amid the ongoing shortage, the petrol station had been distributing fuel on the recommendation of the local administration.

Deputy Chief District Officer Kausal Raj Sharma said they will distribute the fuel from a private petrol station after the NOC-owned station was sealed for pump tampering.

“The concerned fuel station and its staff will be investigated for alleged rigging case,” Sharma said.