KUALA LUMPUR: Marine investigators and local police in Kuching, Malaysia on June 20 arrested a truck driver and apprehended a vehicle that was modified to carry extra subsidized diesel, media reports.
The June 20 arrest was the result of reports provided by members of the public and an investigation at Jalan Repok, Sarikei.
Authorities recovered an estimated 1,500 litres of fuel worth RM53,500 ($14,336) in a specially modified tank in the truck, which was driven by a 60-year-old male.
[The driver] failed to produce any documents related to the purchase of the diesel that he was carrying.
Kalai Chelvan Nadarajan, Marine Operation Force Region Five
In recent years Malaysia has experienced several cases where subsidized diesel is sold into marine markets.
In one such case in September of 2013, a smuggling ring selling diesel to vessels travelling on international waters off Pengerang, Sabtu Ibrahim, resulted in arrests and fuel worth over RM3.14 million ($939,000) being seized.
In the latest case, Marine Operation Force Region Five commander ACP Kalai Chelvan Nadarajan told media that the driver “failed to produce any documents related to the purchase of the diesel that he was carrying.”
The driver is believed to have committed an offence under the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry ministerial act, and his truck is under ministry custody.
In addition to subsidized diesel smugglers, Malaysian authorities are busy combatting bunker piracy.
in January, the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia said that oil syphoning is the key driver of an increase in piracy in Asia this year.
