By Jaythaleela K
MIRI, Nov 1: Sarawak General Operations Force (GOF) 12th Battalion on Thursday (Oct 31) seized 800,000 litres of subsidised diesel from two trawlers in an operation at Krokop Utama riverbank here.
The State GOF commander SAC Dato Khaw Kok Chin said the overall seizure was worth about RM6.7 million including the value of trawlers and RM25,000 in cash.
“We believed this is the largest seizure of smuggled subsidised diesel in Miri,” he told a press conference this morning.
Five men, aged between 37 and 54 years, were arrested in the 1pm operation.
The trawlers were anchoring at the Krokop Utama riverbank when the enforcement team arrived.
Khaw said that two of the suspects had attempted to bribe the enforcement officers with the RM25,000 cash
He added that there was possibility that the smugglers were buying the subsidised diesel and selling them to potential buyers especially in the plantation industry at higher prices.
The case was being investigated under Section 20 of the Control of Supplies Act 1967.— DayakDaily
