March 16: Police on Sunday arrested seven persons from Kathmandu along with over 160,000 pieces facemasks they had stored to sell in the black market.    

Promoting black market of facemasks is punishable under the law. The arrestees were found to have been selling each piece of facemask at Rs 30 to Rs 40 against its actual price of Rs 5, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Hobindra Bogati.    

At present, the demand for facemasks is increasing amid coronavirus fear. Acting on a tip off, a police squad seized godowns at Kapan and Satungal run by the arrestees and confiscated the facemasks, he said.    

Earlier on Saturday, the police had arrested eight persons from Dallu along with 78,000 pieces of facemasks they had stored to sell illegally.   - RSS