PUTRAJAYA, March 18 — The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) has arrested 63 individuals and seized diesel worth more than RM1.2 million through Ops Tiris, which was carried out nationwide from March 1 until yesterday (March 17).
The ministry’s secretary-general, Datuk Azman Mohd Yusof said a total of 2,164 checks were carried out at petrol stations, wholesalers, manufacturers, quarries, check points and other premises during the period.
He said the ministry also managed to build as many as 55 cases involving petrol stations, houses, wholesalers, quarries, workshops and others.
“A total of 54 locals and nine foreigners were arrested since Ops Tiris was launched,” he said in a statement today.
Ops Tiris will be held for six months beginning March 1 until August 31 to ensure that there were no leakages in the implementation of subsidised diesel.
Meanwhile, Azman said KPDN will continue to bolster enforcement on activities involving the embezzlement of subsidised diesel through checks conducted at hotels, tea plantations and petrol stations around Cameron Highlands through Ops Tiris.
Enforcement also included checks and inspections at petrol stations, licensed diesel wholesalers, licensed permit holders and fishermen associations and notices will be issued under Section 8 of the Supply Control Act 1961 with the purpose of obtaining information on the source of diesel oil supply, purchase price and source of oil sales.
“We did this to ascertain if there are leakages in the sale of subsidised diesel oil to unqualified parties or sectors,” he said.
He stressed that there will be no compromise with any party and stern action will be taken at various levels to ensure that the issue of embezzlement and leakages are totally curbed.
