JOHOR BARU: Five Indonesian men have been sentenced to 15 months in jail for having over 13,000kg of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders.
Muhammad Ali, 32; Zulfan Fauzi, 31; Nasrullah, 34; Marhaban, 31; and Adnan, 28, pleaded guilty to the charges in the Sessions Court yesterday.
They admitted having 13,746kg of LPG cylinders, a controlled item under Regulation 3(1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974, 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 asking for a lighter sentence, the accused told the court that they were merely workers.
Adnan said he had just arrived and had yet to start his job while Marhaban said he had only been working for seven days when they were arrested.
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.
Sessions judge Thalha Bachok @ Embok Mok 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 1,357 LPG cylinders worth an estimated RM280,000 being seized, as well as the arrest of the accused persons.
They were charged on Aug 1.
