KLUANG: The Johor Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) successfully busted a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) misappropriation activity in Kampung Parit Haji Hashim, Simpang Renggam, here at 6 pm yesterday (May 28), with seizures totaling RM61,000.
Its director, Lilis Saslinda Pornomo, stated that this operation, conducted at an LPG storage facility within an oil palm plantation, was the result of two weeks of intelligence gathering by the team.
She said that inspections found gas cylinders and connecting hoses believed to be used to transfer LPG from subsidized 14-kilogram (kg) cylinders to 50-kg industrial cylinders.
“A total of 247 gas cylinders were found, and the modus operandi of this syndicate was to purchase subsidized LPG cylinders at RM26.40 per cylinder and transfer the content to industrial cylinders.
“Each industrial cylinder can be filled with the equivalent of three subsidized LPG cylinders, allowing this syndicate to reap profits of between RM50 and RM70 per cylinder, with a selling price of between RM120 and RM150.
“This misappropriation activity is also believed to be targeted at the black market,“ she said at a press conference here today adding that although no arrests were made, further investigations are ongoing to identify the landowner and individuals involved in the activity.
According to her, remote locations within plantations like this are often used for misappropriation activities because they are difficult for authorities to detect. The case is being investigated under the Control of Supplies Act 1961.
