KANGAR: The Perlis Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry seized 43,500 litres of diesel worth RM124,410, believed to have been misappropriated for sale to foreign vehicles in Padang Besar on Monday (Jan 12).
Its director, Rohaida Hassan, said the seizure followed a joint operation with Putrajaya Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry enforcement officers and the police at a premises in the Padang Besar Industrial Area at 12.30pm.
"Further checks revealed three Thai-registered prime movers near a pump and skid tank. Two of the lorries were found refilling diesel into their original and auxiliary tanks.
"Meanwhile, a locally registered lorry was refilling diesel into its skid tank. The suspected modus operandi was to sell the diesel to foreign vehicles,” she said in a statement on Tuesday (Jan 13).
Rohaida said the two Thai-registered lorries, valued at RM400,000, were seized along with nine mobile phones, sales receipt books and a CCTV decoder.
"Five Thai men and two locals, a man and a woman, aged between 29 and 55, were detained for further investigation,” she said.
She added that the operation was the result of two months of police intelligence gathering, and the case is being investigated under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961, read together with Regulation 3(1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974.
In a related development, Rohaida said the team also seized 8,500 packets and 2,520kg of bottled cooking oil worth RM97,970 at the same premises.
"Further checks found three local bonded lorries containing suspected cooking oil in five-litre bottles and one-kg polybags. The packaging for the cooking oil was printed in Thai.
"Investigations revealed the premises did not have a licence to store the cooking oil. The three bonded lorries, valued at RM195,000, were also seized for further investigation,” she said.
She said that the case is being investigated under Section 20(1) of the Control of Supplies Act 1961. — Bernama
