SUNGAI PETANI – Police busted a syndicate involved in the embezzlement of subsidised diesel after detaining 13 individuals, including three Myanmar nationals who are believed to be members of Geng Tikus after carrying out raids at several locations in Sungai Lalang, near here last night.
Kuala Muda police chief ACP Zaidy Che Hassan said the suspects, aged between 35 and 49, were detained during the raids carried out from 1pm to 5.30pm yesterday.
“The raids were carried after investigations by the Kuala Muda Special Branch. The raid was carried out together with enforcement officers from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living office in Sungai Petani.
“Raids were carried out at a premises that was turned into a storage warehouse for diesel at the Miel Industrial Park Bukit Makmur, two petrol stations and another premises in Taman perumahan Laguna Merbok,” he told reporters during a press conference, here today.
He added that during the raids, 74,600 litres of subsidised diesel worth RM162,628, two trailer lorries, eight small lorries, a four-wheel drive, two 20,000 litres capacity tanks and several other equipment worth RM459,628 were seized and taken to the Tunjang Depot in Jitra.
Zaidy said the modus operandi of the syndicate was to use modified One and three tonne lorries to buy subsidised diesel from petrol stations in Kuala Muda everyday and storing the diesel at the premises before being transferred to large tanker lorries and sold at the Malaysia-Thailand border. – Bernama
