TANAH MERAH: Two men, including the owner of a petrol station, have been arrested to assist a probe into fuel smuggling.
Enforcement officers from the Kelantan Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry had initially arrested a 47-year-old man, suspected of being a fuel smuggler, at a petrol station in Kampung Chedok, here yesterday.
State director Azman Ismail said the team had detected a Perodua Axia making repeated fuel purchases at a number of petrol stations in the area around 6pm.
"Upon stopping the car, checks showed 75 litres of petrol in plastic containers stashed in the car.
"We believe that the fuel was meant to be smuggled into Thailand via one of the smugglers' routes in the Bukit Bunga area," he said in a press statement.
Azman said the authorities subsequently detained another man in his 40s, who is the owner of a petrol station, to assist the probe.
The investigation is carried out under the Control of Supplies Act 1961.
Azman said checks showed that some motorists are still ignoring the directive on not making repeat fuel purchases for the same vehicle in one hour.
The ministry, he said, will continue to closely monitor the developments.
He said special attention is being given to 48 out of 245 petrol stations in Kelantan, as they are located within a 25km radius from the Thai border. This, he added, is being done to prevent smuggling of subsidised RON95 fuel.