DERA GHAZI KHAN, Dec 6: Iranian petrol, smuggled allegedly with the connivance of the Border Military Police, is being sold here without any hindrance. The Iranian petrol is being smuggled through the Quetta-Dera Road. It is brought in containers hidden under the crates of vegetables and fruits. In some cases, the petrol is being brought to Dera through public transport and passengers buses.

The local vendors procure it between Rs35 and Rs40 a litre and sell at the market price.

It may be remembered that the BMP has set up posts from the Balochistan border to Sakhi Sarwar on Quetta-Dera Road while Punjab police have post at the border of tribal area tehsil.

The Quetta-Dera is an important rout for the import of fruits and vegetables into the Punjab. Hundreds of trucks and pick-ups cross these posts of BMP and Punjab police without any hurdle.

Insiders told this correspondent that BMP and Punjab police officials obtained gratification from the drivers of vehicles. They claimed that non-duty paid vehicles were also being smuggled to the Punjab through this route.

They said the provision of smuggled Iranian petrol at low rate paved the way for the mushroom growth of illegal sale points in and around the city. The matter got worse with the issuance of licenses for the storage of petrol by the district coordination office.

When this correspondent contacted newly posted political assistant to tribal area and an in charge of BMP post Tariq Bokhari, he said he had transferred many officials posted at posts situated along the road to stop smuggling.

Meanwhile, civil defence officer said these petrol sale points were very dangerous.