Penang: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) successfully crippled a subsidised controlled goods misappropriation syndicate using fleet cards during a raid on a licensed wholesaler's store here today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Penang director S. Jegan stated that an integrated Ops Tiris 4.0 operation was carried out in conjunction with the E5 Special Branch of the Penang Police Contingent Headquarters (IPK) following intelligence gathering and monitoring conducted over the past three weeks. Initial inspections revealed that the premises were believed to have served as a location to transfer diesel fuel from prime movers, which filled up at nearby petrol stations using the fleet card system through repeated purchases.

Jegan explained that 13 fleet cards were found, which were believed to have been used for these misappropriation activities. The syndicate's modus operandi involved using fleet cards belonging to inactive or damaged lorries to obtain diesel supplies according to the permitted quota before transferring them into tanks at the store. He further elaborated that the syndicate used prime movers without trailer bodies to repeatedly fill up diesel at nearby petrol stations. Each lorry was believed capable of making repeated purchases up to 13 times a day without exceeding the quota set in the fleet card system.

The inspections at the store uncovered 10,600 litres of diesel in five skid tanks and the original tanks of the prime movers, valued at RM53,000. The total seizure, including vehicles, pumps, and closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems, was estimated at RM205,000. Additionally, seven men aged between their 50s and 60s, believed to be workers, lorry drivers, and the store owner, were detained to assist in investigations. Purchase receipts and business documents were also seized as part of the operation.