IPOH: A diesel syndicate disguised as a sawmill in Sauk, Kuala Kangsar was exposed when the Perak Ministry of Domestic Trade and Living Costs seized 31,000 litres of the subsidised fuel in a raid at an unnumbered premises today.
Perak ministry director Datuk Kamalludin Ismail said the syndicate also had hired a ‘tonto’ (an informant) to prevent the authorities from sniffing out their clandestine activity
He said in the raid at 10.30 am, a tanker truck and a modified van as well as equipment used for the embezzlement process worth about RM101,400 were also seized.
"When the raid was carried out, no owner of the premises was present at the location, and further checks found that the fuel was stored in two skid tanks.
"Intelligence also shows that this syndicate operates by buying diesel fuel at several petrol stations around Kuala Kangsar at the subsidised price, which is then hoarded here to be eventually sold to industry players,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (May 17)
He said that the ministry will also conduct further investigations on the related petrol stations and would take action if they were found to be in cahoots with the syndicate.
"We will open an investigation under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974 and we are always committed to cooperating with the relevant enforcement agencies,” he said.
Kamalludin said the ministry would continue to practice strict enforcement in combating the leakage and misappropriation of the controlled item. - Bernama
