SEREMBAN, The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Negeri Sembilan branch has cracked down on 69 cases of misappropriation of 866,982 litres of subsidised diesel statewide since the beginning of this year.
Its director Muhammad Zahir Mazlan said that the raids, held through operations dubbed ‘Op Tiris’, included seizures totalling more than RM2.5 million, with 71 arrests, compared with only 27 cases (281,751 litres)
He said of the 69 cases, 46 were under the KPDN while the rest were submitted by other enforcement agencies, and 21 cases were compounded, involving almost RM300,000.
“The majority of cases were in Seremban, Port Dickson and Kuala Pilah. The modus operandi used is to buy diesel at petrol stations elsewhere and collect it in illegal stores, before transferring it to tankers for sale.
“The illegal storage tanks were located in unexpectedly open places that we didn’t suspect, it could be anywhere including industrial areas, the edge of the forest... the locations were dynamic (changing), not just in remote places,” he said, after visiting the case locations here today.
He did not rule out the possibility that some of the syndicates colluded with gas station operators, in addition to having the same network of people committing the crime.
In the meantime, Muhammad Zahir said in the latest raids, yesterday and today in Seremban and Port Dickson, KPDN seized 12,600 litres of subsidised diesel, with an estimated value of RM27,090.
He said as a result, five men, aged between 17 and 40, were arrested on suspicion of violating Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961, as well as Regulation 3 (1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974.
According to him, two investigation papers were opened under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961.
“KPDN warns any party dealing with scheduled controlled goods to comply with the legislation in force,” he said, adding that Negeri Sembilan is the third highest state, after Selangor and Sarawak, in terms of the value of seizures.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency