A mobile court in Netrakona has sentenced a trader to 10 days in jail for illegally purchasing and attempting to smuggle fuel.
The mobile court was led by Md Shamsuzzaman Asif, executive magistrate and assistant commissioner (land) of Sadar upazila. The operation was conducted around 11:30pm on Sunday at the Chakpara food warehouse area of the town.
Police intercepted a pickup van carrying fuel containers while they were being transported to Dharmapasha in Sunamganj.
The trader, Bokul Mia, admitted he had purchased the fuel from a filling station in Parla Hosenpur and was taking it to Dharmapasha.
Upon receiving information, Executive Magistrate Shamsuzzaman arrived at the scene and conducted a search. Authorities confirmed the seizure of five diesel containers and one petrol container.
The pickup driver, however, fled the scene.
Bokul Mia claimed the seized fuel amounted to 200 litres of petrol and 600 litres of diesel, but he failed to produce any valid documents.
He was sentenced under the Bangladesh Petroleum Act for failing to prove the legality of transporting the fuel. Officials added that the seized fuel would be sold at government rates and supplied to the public.
