27,000 litres of edible oil seized in Rajshahi

Police seized around 27,000 litres of edible oil, including 19,176 litres of soyabean oil, from two warehouses at Bagmara upazila in Rajshah.

On a tip-off, a team of cops raided the two warehouses in the Taherpur Bazar area of Rajshahi’s Bagmara upazila on Monday night.

“The seized oil includes 19,176 litres of soybean oil and 7,548 litres of mustard oil,” said Ifte Khayer Alam, additional superintendent of Rajshahi district police.

“The arrestee took the state-owned warehouse on rent. He has been identified as Shahidul Islam Swapan, 40, son of Ismail Saji, a resident of Cheokhali village,” the officer said.

“Later we seized another 31 drums of soybean oil from a nearby godown owned by Swapan’s brother Rafiqul,” he said. “His brother, however, managed to escape.”

According to the officer, the brothers hoarded the edible oil in the warehouses with an ulterior motive to gain more profit by creating artificial crises.

A case was recorded with Bagmara Police Station and action will be taken against the arrestee. The two warehouses have been sealed, added the ASP.