IPOH: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry in Perak has seized 5,000 litres of illegally stored diesel without permit during a raid on a vehicle workshop in Anjung Tawas Sinaran here on Tuesday (March 25).
State director Datuk Kamalludin Ismail said the Ops Tiris raid was conducted by a team of officers and enforcement personnel following a week-long surveillance and intelligence gathering.
He said that the raid found a 59-year-old local man, who is also the owner of the workshop, present at the premises.
"Further inspection discovered 5,000 litres of diesel were being stored at the premises without a valid licence or permit, and the workshop owner failed to provide any letter of authorisation, licence, or permit for the storage of diesel.
"The raiding team then seized 5,000 litres of diesel, 24 drums, 11 jerrycans, a fuel pump, and a mobile phone, with a total estimated value of RM19,363.94," he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Kamalludin said the modus operandi involved company lorry drivers siphoning diesel from their employers and delivering it to the workshop for storage.
The workshop owner is believed to have purchased the diesel at a low price of approximately RM2 per litre from lorry drivers before reselling it to industries around Ipoh.
"This illegal diesel storage facility was concealed behind a vehicle repair workshop to evade detection by the authorities," he said.
He added the case is being investigated under the Control of Supplies Act 1961, on suspicion of committing the offence of possessing or storing scheduled controlled goods, diesel, without written permission from the Supply Controller. - Bernama
