JOHOR BARU: Five Indonesian men have been sentenced to 15 months in jail for possessing more than 13,000kg of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) here.
The accused, Muhammad Ali, 32, Zulfan Fauzi, 31, Nasrullah, 34, Marhaban, 31, and Adnan, 28, were each handed the jail sentence after maintaining their guilty pleas at the Sessions Court here.
According to the charge sheet, they were found in possession of 13,746kg of LPG cylinders under circumstances that raised reasonable suspicion under Regulation 3(1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974 for manufacturing LPG without a licence.
The offence was allegedly committed at Jalan Sungai Tiram, Ulu Tiram, at about 7.05pm on July 28.
They were charged under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961 (Act 122), which carries a fine of up to RM1mil or imprisonment of up to three years, or both, upon conviction.
When pleading for a lighter sentence, the accused told the court that they were merely workers.
One of them, Adnan, said he had just arrived and had yet to start his job when the arrest took place, while Marhaban said he had only been working for seven days.
Meanwhile, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry prosecuting officer S. Loganathan urged the court to impose a heavier sentence, stressing that the offence had significant effects on the public and caused great losses to the country.
He also asked the court to forfeit the ownership of the seized items, including two trailers, for them to be handed over to the government.
Judge Thalha Bachok @ Embok Mok then sentenced the men to 15 months’ jail from the date of arrest and ordered the forfeiture of the seized goods.
On July 28, enforcement officers uncovered an illegal LPG storage facility at a warehouse in Ulu Tiram during an operation.
The operation, which was jointly carried out by enforcement teams from Putrajaya and Johor, led to the seizure of 1,357 LPG cylinders worth an estimated RM280,000, as well as the arrest of the accused.
They were charged at the Sessions Court here on Aug 1, where they pleaded guilty to possessing the LPG.
