PERLIS SEES SIGNIFICANT DROP IN CROSS-BORDER SMUGGLING

KANGAR, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- The Perlis Ministry of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living (KPDN) registered 198 cross-border smuggling cases involving controlled and subsidised goods with a seizure value of RM1,222,231.80 from January untill yesterday.

State KPDN Director Hasbullah Abd Rashid said the number of cases dropped sharply after implementing Ops Tiris 3.0 since Jan 1. This is when compared to the 312 smuggling cases with seizures worth RM4,464,738.58 recorded throughout last year.

The compounds imposed also dropped drastically from January to yesterday, recording RM31,300 in fines this year compared to RM273,500 in 2023.

"KPDN sees that Ops Tiris 3.0 was effective. Even now under the government's new initiative, Kita GEMPUR (Movement to Combat Manipulation and Leakage), we will continue to enhance our enforcement activities at the border," he said at a press conference here today.

Meanwhile, Hasbullah said KPDN detained a 29-year-old local man during a special operation at 8pm yesterday, on suspicion of being involved in petrol misappropriation and confiscated 300 litres of the commodity worth RM615 at a petrol station here last night.

He said action was taken after a two-week intelligence gathering and surveillance on the suspect who was driving a locally registered car and checks revealed a modified second tank filled with a liquid suspected to be petrol.

"The car was also confiscated by the Perlis KPDN, estimated to be worth RM8,315, with the total seizure at RM8,930. The case is being investigated under the Control of Supplies Act 1961," he said.

-- BERNAMA