TUMPAT: A cooking oil smuggler attempted to evade detection by the authorities by driving through a village road here on the way to the border.
However, his tactic failed when officers from the Kelantan Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry and the marine police seized 850kg of 1kg subsidised cooking oil in polybags in the car he drove.
The man, however, managed to escape, leaving the items behind in the incident today.
State Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry director Azman Ismail said cooking oil worth more than RM2,000, was seized.
His men had earlier spotted a Proton Pesona passing Kampung Bendang Pak Yong at about 7am after receiving information from the marine police.
"The ministry officers decided to follow the car but when the car arrived in Kampung Simpangan, the driver realised that he was being followed by the authorities.
"He stopped his car and escaped into the nearby bushes. When we checked inside the vehicle, officers found boxes containing polybags of cooking oil placed in the passenger's seats and the car boot."
Azman said initial investigation showed the cooking oil would be smuggled into Thailand via one of the many illegal jetties along the Malaysia-Thailand border here.