The Dhaka Metropolitan Police with the help of mobile courts destroyed over 12,500 maunds of fruits along with around 25 lakh litchis and realised over Tk15 lakh as fine from traders in last three days.
Claiming the success in the anti-formalin drives, the DMP authorities at a press conference yesterday warned the traders that they would search the warehouses to check the balance of formalin.
DMP Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam at the press conference held at its media centre on Minto Road said they had intensified vigilance and started the process of gathering information in this regard.
The DMP used to set up mobile courts and check-posts at eight entrances to the capital for 12 hours every day from 8:00pm to 8:00am with the personnel from the Bangladesh Police and Bangladesh Standards Testing Institution in addition to magistrates.
On the first day of the drives from 8:00 pm on Wednesday to 8:00 am on Thursday, the police and mobile courts destroyed around 3,000 maunds of mangoes, 200 maunds of berries and 15 lakh litchis.
Two traders were also jailed for two months each, another for 15 days and Tk12.85 lakh was realised as fine from 12 traders.
During the period, a total of 1,925 trucks, including 208 trucks loaded with fruits, entered the capital city through eight entrances.
On the second day, 1,286 vehicles were searched when 2,850 maunds of mangoes, 794 maunds of berries, 5.62 lakh litchis and 355 maunds of other fruits were destroyed while 21 cases were filed and Tk50,500 was realised as fine.
Earlier, 4,073 maunds of mangoes, 43 maunds of berries, 4.40 lakh litchis, 1,675 pieces of pineapples, 140kg tomatoes, 110kg apples, 200 pieces of bananas, 20kg Thai litchis and 33kg grapes were seized and destroyed on Friday. Tk1.70 lakh was also realised as fine during the drive.
Executive Magistrate Liakat Ali, who led the mobile court at Gabtoli, said 75% of the fruits were found formalin-mixed while the rest 25% were found formalin-free as those were unripe.
“Now green fruits are being carried as part of a technique to dodge the law enforcers,” said the magistrate, adding that there are scope for mixing formalin with fruits some time later.
