JITRA: Police foiled attempts to smuggle about 2,000 litres of petrol after intercepting five pickup trucks at Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex, yesterday.
Kedah police chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah said the seizure was carried out through a special operation by a team from Kubang Pasu district police headquarters (IPD) within an hour starting at 7am.
"Police also arrested four Thai men and a local man aged 23 to 37. Initial investigations found that all suspects used five pickup trucks that were modified with additional steel tanks.
"The installation of the tanks was intended to illegally smuggle petrol to neighbouring countries,” he said at a press conference at Kubang Pasu IPD, which was also attended by Kedah Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) director Muhammad Nizam Jamaludin.
He said all the arrests and seizures were handed over to Kedah KPDN for further investigation under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and Regulation 3(1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974.
According to Adzli, all the men arrested had no previous criminal records,and the urine screening tests were negative, while the total amount including the vehicles seized was estimated at RM560,000.
"The pickup trucks use diesel but why were they pumping petrol? This is a serious offence. As we know, the ongoing war (in the Middle East) has also affected neighbouring countries, causing fuel prices to soar, apart from rationing," he said.
Meanwhile, he said the police are also investigating the petrol stations that sold the fuel to all the suspects.
"I ask all oil operators in this state to be responsible, not to be complicit in smuggling activities that can affect the country's economy and threaten public safety.
"We will continue to intensify operations and monitoring, especially in the country's border areas to combat smuggling activities of controlled and subsidised goods," he said. - Bernama
