KPDN arrests two men in Kota Kinabalu for suspected illegal sales and collection of subsidised diesel

Undercover enforcement officers from the Sabah arm of the ministry of domestic trade and cost of living (KPDN) arrested two men in Kota Kinabalu recently under the suspicion of being involved in illegal sales of subsidised diesel.

As reported by The Star, the two suspects caught the attention of the officers who noticed them taking longer than usual to fill the tanks of their vehicles (a van and a four-wheel drive). “Our personnel approached the vehicles to inspect and found that the fuel tanks had been modified to connect to a larger tank called the intermediate bulk container (IBC) inside, which can hold up to 1000 litres of liquid,” said Sabah KPDN director Shahril Nizam Shahidin.

He added that both tanks were found to have around 800 litres of diesel each, and that the men in their 30s were believed to be part of a syndicate involved in the illegal sales and collection of subsidised diesel.

KPDN arrests two men in Kota Kinabalu for suspected illegal sales and collection of subsidised diesel

The suspects also failed to provide documents for controlled goods, a stock book or receipts for the sales and purchase of diesel upon request. Both men as well as their vehicles and the diesel were seized, and the case is being investigated under the Supplies Control Act 1961.

Shahril revealed that the total value sized for one of the vehicles was around RM12,700, while it was about RM10,050 for the other. “The total value of items confiscated was around RM22,745,” he said, adding that any form of abuse of subsidised goods is a serious offence which affects the people as well as the national economy. Shahril warned that no individual, company or entity will be spared if found to break offences relating to the illegal purchase and sales of controlled goods.

In a similar case reported by The Star earlier this week, five men were arrested in Penampang after a team of marine police raided a premises in Kampung Kibabaig. It was discovered that 6,230 litres of diesel worth RM13,394.50 would be resold to industries at RM6.50 per litre, or RM41,865.60 in total.

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