Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — Inspectors from the Ministry of Commerce have discovered as many as 825 violations with regard to jacking up prices of face masks at various sales outlets across the Kingdom.

Riyadh region topped the list with 194 violations, making up 24 percent of the total offenses, followed by Makkah with 167 violations, accounting up 20 percent of the total cases. The Eastern Province came third with 102 violations (12 percent) and it was followed by Al-Qasim with 64 violations (8 percent) and Madinah with 57 violations (7 percent).

There were 53 violations (6 percent) in Jazan, 43 (5 percent) in Asir, 42 in Hail, 27 in Al-Jouf, 23 in Najran, 18 in Tabuk and 16 in the Northern Border Region.

The ministry inspectors also seized 22 million masks, stored for illegal sale in a number of regions of the Kingdom, and these masks were redirected to the market to sell at fair prices to consumers.