KAPAR: Police have arrested three Nigerian men in Klang for allegedly smuggling subsidised cooking oil to their country by concealing the commodity in kettles and rice cookers meant for export.
North Klang district police chief ACP S. Vijaya Rao said the suspects, aged 30s to 40s, were nabbed when police raided a vehicle spare parts shop in Bandar Baru Klang at about 2 pm three days ago
Police seized 1,100 packets of cooking oil, 225 kettles and 51 units of electrical appliances, all estimated to be worth RM18,910, in the raid, which was made following public complaints, he told a press conference here today.
“Their modus operandi was to purchase subsidised cooking oil from locals and hide up to three packets in a kettle or an electric rice cooker for shipment to Nigeria in containers.
“We believe the high price of cooking oil in Nigeria prompted the suspects to smuggle the items. We are conducting further investigations to determine the amount of cooking oil smuggled out,” he added.
Vijaya Rao said the three suspects’ passports had expired three years ago, and they have been renting the business premises for the past five years.
The suspects have been remanded for four days until tomorrow, he added. — Bernama
