17,000 litres of subsidised diesel found in warehouse

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KUCHING: Petrol station operators risk having their licences revoked if they are found to have illegally sold subsidised diesel to unauthorised individuals.

Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism state director Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman issued the warning after 17,000 litres of subsidised diesel were discovered during a raid of a warehouse in Bintawa on Monday night.

“We raided the warehouse in an isolated area in Bintawa and found 16,000 litres of subsidised diesel hidden inside skid tanks, with a further 1,000 litres in a modified pickup truck,” disclosed Wan Uzir when contacted yesterday.

A 28-year-old local man was detained at the warehouse and is being investigated under the Supply Control Act 1961 which carries a RM100,000 fine or three years’ imprisonment, or both  if found guilty,

The suspect, according to Wan Uzir, had admitted the subsidised diesel was meant for sale, but refused to reveal who he intended to sell it to, or where he got it from.

“I strongly believe the diesel was illegally bought from petrol stations, which contravenes a directive issued to all operators,” he said.

He revealed that the directive prohibited the sale of more than 200 litres of subsidised diesel to a single customer at one time, unless under special circumstance where the buyer was authorised to transport the fuel to remote areas.