Colombo, March 27 A man who was accused of hoarding four litres of petrol in a town in northwest Sri Lanka has been sentenced to 21 days in jail.
Sri Lanka has banned fuel hoarding shortly after the joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran.
Lasantha Kumara Balasuriya, 48, from the Nikaweratiya township in the North Western province, pleaded guilty in court on Thursday and said that the fuel he had stockpiled was intended for cleaning up the surroundings for an annual religious ceremony of his late parents.
The magistrate sentenced Balasuriya to 21 days in prison for hoarding four litres of petrol, and also imposed a fine of 1500 Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR) on him.
The Sri Lankan government introduced a QR code-based fuel rationing on March 15.
According to the Ministry of Energy, under this rationing system, cars are allowed 15 litres per week, while buses are allowed 60 litres per week.
Starting February 28, the US and Israel launched a massive joint attack on Iran, and with Iran's retaliation, it has extended to the entire Gulf region.
Iranian strikes in Hormuz have affected maritime traffic in the strait, which is crucial for global supply chains for crude and oil.