At least 7,200 surgical masks seized in raid at Sialkot warehouse

SIALKOT: At least 7,200 surgical masks were recovered during a raid carried out Tuesday at a warehouse at Bhagowal Road as the country faces a rise in demand of medical supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The team — including Assistant Commissioner Sialkot Javeria Maqbool Randhawa and the drug inspector — conducted the raid on the directives of the city's DC, Dr Nasir Mehmood Bashir. It was aimed to nab people stocking and selling surgical masks at higher prices.

Randhawa said stern legal action would be taken against profiteers and hoarders who were creating artificial shortage of masks. The Punjab government had banned the storage of essential items, including sanitisers and masks, she added.

Making a profit and selling masks on expensive rates would not be tolerated, she noted.