KOTA KINABALU: An attempt to smuggle out 800 litres of diesel from Pulau Banggi in Kudat was foiled by enforcement officers.
The officers from the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry as well as those from the marine police and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency were taking part in an inter-agency operation during Ops Tiris on Wednesday when they stopped a 4WD vehicle travelling along the Karakit-Batu Layar main road.
“We discovered four barrels filled with 800 litres of diesel,” said the ministry’s Kudat division enforcement officer Nazatul Shima Karim.
She said the Malaysian driver failed to produce documentation for the transport or possession of the diesel, and was detained to facilitate investigations under the Supplies Control Act 1961. The drums of diesel were also seized.
She said enforcement will be stepped up, particularly in Pulau Banggi, which has been identified as a high-risk area for fuel smuggling and misappropriation.
“We will continue to hold patrols and raids to prevent abuse and leakages of controlled and subsidised goods in Sabah,” she added.
