BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) in Penang uncovered that the smuggling of subsidised diesel has now switched to petrol, in an Ops Tiris 3.0 raid at a petrol station in Sungai Rambai, here today.
Its director S. Jegan said the activity was exposed after a state KPDN enforcement team arrested a 47-year-old man who was refueling a lorry at about 5 am today.
“In an Inspection on the lorry, KPDN found a pump motor and a connected hose which is suspected of transferring petrol from the pump directly into an IBC tank and the man also failed to present any license or permit for the storage of the controlled goods.
“Following that, our party confiscated 700 litres of petrol worth RM1,435 in an IBC tank, a lorry, six units of IBC tanks, a set of pump motors and pipes totaling RM23,135,“ he said in a statement today.
He said based on the investigation the man worked with a subsidised fuel smuggling syndicate and was involved in buying petrol in past three weeks to be smuggled out to the market in a neighbouring country.
Jegan said previously the man who worked as a lorry driver bought diesel for the syndicate but since the targeted diesel subsidy began, he switched to buying petrol around Bukit Mertajam before sending it to the syndicate to be taken out of the country.
He said further investigations are underway and the case is being investigated under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 [Act 112] to identify other individuals or companies involved in this fraudulent activity as well as the petrol distribution chain.
Penang KPDN is actively conducting surveillance of patrol in the state to curb the leakage of smuggling activities of controlled and subsidised goods and will continue to mobilising enforcement especially involving the siphoning of controlled and subsidised diesel.
