BUKIT KAYU HITAM, Oct 24 – The Kedah branch of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) detected 580 vehicles filling fuel several times in a day at several different petrol stations near the Malaysia-Thailand border here.
Its director, Muhammad Nizam Jamaludin said his team detected these activities since Sept 25.
“A total of 19,705 vehicles were recorded (filling petrol) with 19,001 being local vehicles and 704 foreign-registered vehicles,” he said.
“Of the total number, 580 vehicles were detected refuelling more than once in the same day,” he told reporters after monitoring several petrol stations on Wednesday.
Muhammad Nizam said his team took action by assigning officers statically and conducting audits at six petrol stations in the Kubang Pasu and Baling districts; deploying enforcement patrol units; conducting intelligence operations, and taking action based on the information obtained.
He said these approaches could identify the actual quota needs of petrol stations and information of vehicles refuelling with petrol or diesel.
According to him, the investigation found that the misappropriation of subsidised materials was also carried out by individuals or small groups using vehicles with local registration numbers.
He said modus operandi identified was that they made purchases using small drums and had vehicles with additional modified fuel tanks, and it is believed they used remote village areas away from public attention as fuel collection points.
