Ministry enforcement officials checking the misappropriated diesel found in the raid on a storehouse in Kota Kinabalu.
KOTA KINABALU: Enforcement authorities have busted activities related to the misappropriation of diesel being carried out from an unnumbered storehouse here.
Sabah Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry personnel monitored movements at the location for a week before raiding the storehouse on Jalan Bunga Raya Kepayan on Tuesday (Aug 2).
The ministry's Sabah director Georgie Abas said his men found 1,610 litres of diesel in square tanks, oil drums and jerrycans during the 11.30am raid.
He said they also found an electronic pump that was believed to be used to transfer the diesel.
“We detained a local man who we believe was the owner of the controlled item during the operation,” he said.
“The man failed to produce any document or valid licence that permitted him to keep the diesel at the location,” he said, adding the seized items were valued at more than RM3,500.
Georgie said the suspect will be investigated under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961 for having controlled items with the intent to commit an offence by selling the diesel without a valid permit.
Besides that, the man is also being investigated under Section 20(1) of the same Act for storing the items at a location without the approval of the authorities.
He pointed out that under the Act, anyone found guilty will be liable to a maximum RM1mil fine, further fines of up to RM3mil for any subsequent offence, or three years’ imprisonment, or both.
As for companies, he said those proven to have flouted the law can be subjected to a fine of RM2mil as well as RM5mil for any subsequent offence.
“The ministry will not hesitate to suspend the licences of fuel stations that are suspected of being involved in misappropriation until the probe is completed,” Georgie warned.
For this purpose, he said, the ministry's Sabah office will step up its monitoring to weed out misappropriation of controlled items in the state.
