PETALING JAYA: Fuel smugglers along the Malaysia-Thailand border are ditching bulky, modified tanks and turning to a more discreet but equally lucrative tactic – making repeated cross-border trips with full tanks of subsidised petrol.
Kedah police chief Comm Adzli Abu Shah said the shift comes amid heightened enforcement and scrutiny of vehicles suspected of being fitted with concealed fuel tanks, a common tactic used by smugglers.
“Now, they leave with full tanks of subsidised petrol or diesel, which is siphoned and sold before returning in almost empty tanks.
“Then they repeat the cycle, making multiple trips. This is the latest trend of the smugglers we have uncovered,” he told The Star yesterday.
Comm Adzli said police are treating the matter seriously and are working closely with the Immigration Department to track suspicious vehicles making multiple trips across the border in a single day.
“We are liaising with other agencies, and if we suspect there are motorists behind such activities, they will be barred from entering Thailand by the Immigration Department,” he said.
He said police are also on the lookout for vehicles fitted with concealed fuel tanks, which smugglers continue to use to sneak petrol or diesel out of the country.
He said installing such fuel tanks without prior approval from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) was an offence under the Road Transport Act.
Comm Adzli said vehicles with auxiliary petrol tanks installed will be seized and impounded.
“The drivers of these vehicles will also be held and investigated on suspicion of fuel smuggling.
“The smugglers are cunning and have lookouts who assess the situation at the checkpoints.
“When they encounter a heavy enforcement presence at the borders, they divert their fuel-laden vehicles to secret locations.
“There they wait for Thai vehicles entering Malaysia before transferring the subsidised fuel to them. This is another tactic they use,” he said.
Three weeks ago, Kedah police foiled attempts to smuggle some 2,000 litres of petrol after intercepting five pickup trucks at the Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint.
Four Thai men and a Malaysian man were arrested.
Comm Adzli said the crackdown on fuel smuggling intensified since last year, but enforcement has doubled recently with the formation of a special task force after fuel demand rose following Thailand’s fuel rationing.
He said as directed by the Home Ministry, police personnel will also be placed at petrol stations situated over a radius of 2km from the checkpoints.
“Concerted efforts between all enforcement agencies and the public are crucial in stamping out the abuse of subsidised fuel.
“Despite the ongoing oil crisis, we are fortunate to not only have subsidies for fuel but also an adequate supply. As such, we need to safeguard and conserve our supply to ensure we have enough.
“If leakages occur from abuse, our current fuel supply may run out much sooner, and all the money in the world will not be able to even start our vehicle. We need to do everything we can to avoid such a situation.
“We hope the public will give us their cooperation by channelling information they may have on the smuggling of subsidised fuel for us to promptly take stern action,” he said.
