3 men arrested in M'sia for attempting to smuggle RON95 petrol to a 'neighbouring country'

Three men were arrested by Malaysian authorities on Mar. 26 for trying to smuggle subsidised RON95 petrol into a neighbouring country.

Officers from Malaysia's Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) were carrying out an operation in the Perak town of Pengkalan Hulu that day, Bernama reported.

The operation, conducted with help from the Road Transport Department, targeted vehicles suspected of being modified for illegal fuel storage.

The authorities stopped three men aged between 60 and 70 after finding about 450 litres of RON95 petrol in modified tanks in three Malaysian-registered vehicles.

"The three men are believed to be part of a syndicate whose modus operandi is to fill up petrol at petrol stations several times before entering a neighbouring country," said the Perak director of the ministry, Kamalludin Ismail, as quoted by The Star.

The vehicles and their tanks containing the petrol, valued at RM15,741 (S$5,058) in total, were all seized.

Enforcement action

The three men will be investigated under the country's Control of Supplies Act for possessing or keeping the fuel without permission.

If found guilty, they can be fined up to RM1 million (S$321,000), be jailed for up to three years, or both, Kamalludin said.

Non-individual entities found guilty may face higher fines of up to RM2 million for a first offence, and RM5 million if it is a second offence.

"For non-individual entities, those found guilty can be fined up to RM2mil, and RM5mil if it is a second offence," he said.

He added that the ministry will take firm action against anyone involved in the misuse of subsidised goods.

They will intensify enforcement through the ministry's Kita Gempur initiative, which combats business manipulation activities such as the misappropriation of controlled goods in Malaysia.

Top images from KPDN via China Press