Source: Borneo Post (View expressed here is solely the opinion of the source)
KUCHING: A total of 394,000 litres of diesel worth RM1.1 million were seized from a warehouse in Bintawa yesterday.
State director of the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman said the seizure, which was conducted with help from the police, was the biggest in Sarawak this year.
Initial investigation showed that the premises owner had committed three offences, namely storing fuel in unlicensed premises, storing fuel more than the limit allowed, and failing to show the fuel log book to the ministry’s officers, he said.
“Following the raid we seized seven fuel tanks, a tanker vessel, two fishing boats and two tanker lorries,” he said yesterday.
According to Wan Ahmad, the arrest was made under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 which carries a maximum fine of RM100,000 for an individual offender and RM250,000 for a company or an imprisonment term of three years or both on conviction.
Earlier at the site, a police spokesperson said the raid came about after the green and yellow lorries, which were used to transport the fuel, were noticed not to carry any logo.
During the operation which started about 11am, 11 workers including seven foreigners were found at the scene. The foreigners were detained for working at the premises.
