KOTA BHARU: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) of Kelantan foiled two attempts to smuggle subsidised petrol to a neighbouring country when it seized six vehicles and petrol worth over RM54,000 in two separate operations in Bukit Bunga, Tanah Merah.
Kelantan KPDN director Azman Ismail said that in the first operation on Tuesday (May 6), they detained a 52-year-old Thai woman, who was driving a Toyota Camry car, in the parking lot near a supermarket in Bunga Raya at about 3.30 pm.
“The suspect is believed to have tried to smuggle subsidised petrol to Thailand after filling up a total of almost 117 litres of petrol twice (97 litres and 20 litres) on the same day. The suspect also admitted that the fuel would be sold wholesale to local agents at the border being resold retail in Thailand,” he said in a statement today.
The KPDN then seized the Toyota Camry and about 45 litres of petrol stored in a modified tank. The suspect has been detained under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961, Control of Supplies Regulations 1974 and Section 10 of the same act.
Meanwhile, in an integrated operation on Wednesday (May 7), a KPDN enforcement team, together with Batallion 8 of the Southeast Brigade of the General Operations Force (PGA), seized five Proton cars that were abandoned in Taman Guru, Bukit Bunga at about 9 am.
Azman said the fuel tanks of the four Proton Waja and one Proton Wira cars had been modified and contained 420 litres of subsidised petrol that was meant to be smuggled to a neighbouring country, adding that no arrest had been made.
He said the seized vehicles have been handed over the the Tanah Merah KPDN and the investigation is being carried out under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961.
