FOILED SMUGGLING BID: Wan Ahmad (centre) helps two officers taking samples of the diesel from the trawler’s compartment to be sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis.
KUCHING: Officials from the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism impounded a fishing trawler yesterday after it was found to be transporting over RM20,000 worth of subsidised diesel instead of fish.
Its state director, Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman, said the fishless trawler was stopped near Jalan Pelabuhan around 1pm following a tip-off and subsequently detained after a check revealed it was carrying some 12,000 litres of subsidised fuel in three compartments.
“We suspect that the subsidised diesel was meant either for sale to foreign fishing vessels or to local industries.
“The boat captain and a deckhand, aged 54 and 26 respectively, have been detained to have their statement recorded. We will investigate the case under the Supply Control Act,” he told a press conference at the Marine Police base in Bintawa.
Individuals found guilty under the act face a possible RM100,000 fine and three years’ jail, while companies face a stiffer fine of RM250,000.
Wan Ahmad said his ministry had made a total of 37 subsidised diesel-related seizures (excluding yesterday’s) worth over RM2 million in the period from Jan 1 to June 10 this year, with operations being conducted on a near-daily basis.
“In fact, my men also detained a 23-year-old man around 10am today (yesterday) at a petrol station in the Tabuan area on suspicion of attempting to smuggle subsidised diesel using a modified lorry.
“The lorry was found to be fitted with a 2,000 litre-capacity tank, and the driver had already pumped in about RM90 worth of fuel when he was nabbed,” he said, 1adding that the total value of yesterday seizures exceeded RM90,000.
The trawler is currently being impounded at the Marine Police base here pending the outcome of a chemist report of the fuel sample.