Penang: The Penang Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) dismantled three syndicates involved in the misappropriation of subsidised cooking oil under Ops Tiris 3.0 following separate raids in Sungai Bakap, Pekan Darat, and Butterworth starting yesterday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the operation was spearheaded by the ministry's director, S. Jegan. The first raid took place at 11:30 am yesterday in Sungai Bakap, while subsequent raids were executed in Pekan Darat and Butterworth at 10 am today, after a month of surveillance and intelligence efforts.

Jegan reported the ministry seized various brands of subsidised polybag cooking oil amounting to more than RM25,962 during the raids. The syndicates were involved in cutting open one-kilogramme (kg) subsidised polybags and transferring the cooking oil into large storage tanks without valid licences or permits.

In Pekan Darat, the authorities uncovered a syndicate repacking site in an abandoned village house, where two men in their 30s, suspected to be workers for the syndicate, were detained. Preliminary investigations revealed that this syndicate operated on a small but frequent scale, conducting activities up to twice a week and handling approximately 24 tonnes of subsidised cooking oil monthly.

The oil was repacked into 17-kg containers and sold to restaurants or industrial customers at RM4 per kg, generating illegal profits exceeding RM24,000 per month. During the raid, 944 kg of cooking oil in containers and 1,600 kg in polybags, along with equipment like Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) tanks, motor pumps, hoses, oil funnels, and cutting knives, were seized.

Investigations continue to uncover the broader network involved, and investigation papers have been opened under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961.