PENANG KPDN BUSTS SYNDICATE DIVERTING SUBSIDISED COOKING OIL

BUKIT MERTAJAM, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- The Penang branch of the Ministry of Domestic Trade (KPDN) has uncovered an operation diverting subsidised 1kg polybags of cooking oil and detained two men during a raid on a storage facility in Bukit Mertajam yesterday.

Its director, S Jegan, said the raid was conducted at 3.30 pm with the General Operations Force's Battalion 2 Intelligence Branch team from Kulim, based on surveillance.

"The cooking oil from the 1kg polybags was being transferred into 17kg industrial containers using specialised equipment found at the location," he said in a statement today.

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Also found were 4,760kg of 1kg packaged cooking oil, 510 empty 17kg containers, five empty 200-litre drums, and various equipment used in the illegal operation.

A lorry believed to be used for transporting the controlled goods was seized as well, bringing the estimated value of all confiscated items to RM37,450. 

"Initial investigations found that the storage facility owner had been operating for three months without a valid licence or permit to store and manage controlled goods," he said.

He added that two men, believed to be workers, were detained, and that authorities are now actively tracing the syndicate's network, including its sellers and buyers.

The case is being investigated under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961 (Act 122) for possession of controlled goods with the intention of committing an offence.

"The state KPDN will continue to intensify monitoring and enforcement to ensure no party exploits the system by diverting subsidised controlled goods. This operation is part of the KITA GEMPUR initiative launched on Oct 19, 2024, to tackle business manipulation and leakage of controlled and subsidised goods," he said.

-- BERNAMA