As vegetable prices have been high with no signs of falling, the National Police Agency (NPA) on Saturday issued an order to all local police stations in the country requiring assignment of personnel to cooperate with district prosecutor offices and local governments to monitor whether there were practices of price gouging and hoarding of essential commodities in their jurisdiction.
The NPA said police are responsible for helping authorities to investigate and clamp down on practices violating Fair Trade Act.
The NPA said it issued an official letter on Sep. 14 to all police stations to investigate whether price gouging and hoarding of consumer, agriculture and industrial goods had taken place in their jurisdiction and to refer offenses to authorities.
As the vegetable prices have remained on the high side in recent months, the NPA on Oct. 21 issued another order to all local police stations to assign personnel to join hands with district prosecutor offices and local authorities for efforts in investigating the aforementioned illegal conducts.
On Sunday, Chiayi District Prosecutors Office, authorities of local government as well as Chiayi police conducted such probes at many local vegetable and fruit markets.
Chaiyi District Prosecutors Office said offenders of illegal price gouging and hoarding of foods, agriculture products and other essential commodities will face a jail sentence of less than three years, short-term imprisonment, a fine or a combined fine of less than NT$300,000.