PUTRAJAYA: Four company directors and two managers were detained by graft busters in connection with diesel smuggling activity, which has cost losses to the country amounting to RM246mil.
The six suspects, two of whom have "Datuk" titles, were nabbed in a special operation codenamed "Ops Karen" in Sabah and Sarawak from Sept 2 till 8.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the commission also froze accounts and seized assets worth RM190.8mil following the operation.
"We uncovered the smuggling activity through collaboration with other relevant agencies under the Multi-Agency Task Force (MATF) led by the MACC.
"Among other agencies involved were the Inland Revenue Board (LDHN), Bank Negara, the Domestic Trad and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) and the Customs Department," he told reporters at the MACC headquarters on Monday (Sept 22).
While the losses to the government due to the diesel smuggling activity is estimated at RM247mil for the past 10 years, Azam said the number could easily be double or triple that amount.
"That is why our investigators have to analyse the syndicate's accounts further and conduct forensic accounting," he added.
Azam said the MATF froze 498 bank accounts containing RM110mil and seized assets including five ships worth RM52mil, 4.5 million litres of diesel (RM9.7mil), nine luxury watches (RM1.2mil), 17 luxury cars (RM5.6mil) and 40 pieces of land (RM11.3mil).
"We also seized foreign currencies in different denominations worth RM156,479.
"In total, the accounts and assets are worth RM190.8mil," he added.
