Acting on information, a contingent of police from Abhoynagar Police Station raided Noapara Petroleum Depot in Noapara, reports our Jessore correspondent.

The policemen seized 35,365 litres of fuel including 23,758 litres of petrol and 11,607 litres of kerosene. They sealed off the depot and lodged a case with Abhoynagar Police Station against seven people including managing director of the depot Shajjadul Karim Kabul.

According to police, Kabul and his accomplices have 23 filling stations across the country. "These people hoard fuel often to create artificial crisis in the market," the police said.

Locals claim twelve tankers, owned by the same people, loaded with diesel were smuggled out of country Saturday night through Kalalaroa border of Satkhira, our Khulna correspondent reports. Kabul is helped by a section of police officials to run his business, they alleged.

Sub-inspector (SI) Shaban Ali, who filed the case, accused the owners of hoarding fuel with a motive to smuggle the fuel out of the country.

Manoj Kumar, manager of the oil depot, denied the allegations of smuggling. But he admitted that owner had no valid licence to run the depot.