KUCHING: Sarawak police are intensifying efforts to curb fuel smuggling amid the Middle East conflict, which is affecting global oil supply and prices.
"Our focus now is on fuel smuggling. We are concerned that fuel may be siphoned to neighbouring countries for the profit of foreign parties.
"To prevent this, we will identify illegal bases and take joint action with other agencies," State DCP Saifullizan Isha told reporters after the state-level Police Day commemoration here on Wednesday (March 25).
He said no arrests had been made so far as the operation to identify the illegal bases was still ongoing.
He added that police were working with the General Operations Force (GOF) and the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKSEM) on this.
Separately, Sarawak recorded 283 road accidents during the six-day Ops Selamat operation held in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri from March 19 to 24.
State police commissioner Comm Datuk Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said this was a reduction of 49 cases compared to last year.
"Five fatal accidents were recorded during Ops Selamat, the same number as last year, while the number of deaths rose from five last year to eight this year," he said in a statement.
He also said 14,723 summonses were issued to road users for various traffic offences during Ops Selamat, an increase of 8,016 compared with last year due to this year's pre-emptive services and total enforcement approach.
