PADANG TERAP: For the past one month, Siti (not her real name), from Kuala Nerang, noticed that the RON95 petrol supply at fuel stations in the town ran out faster than usual.
"Previously, subsidised diesel could last until the 20th of the month, while RON95 petrol would be available until the 30th or 31st.
"However, the subsidised petrol supply had finished a week before the end of the month. The supply has been out since July 25," she said recently.
She said she suspected that fuel smugglers were moving RON95 petrol following the government's decision to implement targeted diesel subsidies since June 10.
The move saw the pump price of diesel jump to RM3.35 per litre from RM2.15 per litre, wiping out the big profit margin earned by smuggling syndicates.
Unlike diesel smuggling, she said, smugglers had shifted to using smaller vehicles, such as cars and motorcycles, to buy RON95 petrol at fuel pumps.
"Residents fear that if this issue is not resolved, we might face the same problem with diesel smugglers in pickup trucks."
Her sentiment was echoed by another resident, who wished to be identified only as Zaki.
He said he believed fuel smugglers were using the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security border checkpoint in Durian Burung, 30km from Kuala Nerang, to smuggle petrol to a neighbouring country, instead of using rat routes.
Zaki said although there was a risk of getting caught at border checkpoints, smugglers had been deterred from using rat routes due to increased army patrols.
He said there was a window of opportunity for the smugglers to transport subsidised petrol in vehicles through border checkpoints.
"Usually, border checkpoints get busy 15 minutes before the gates are closed, so they might get into Thailand without a thorough inspection."
Zaki claimed local fuel smugglers were working with syndicates that collected the smuggled fuel and redistributed it to vendors in Thailand.
"If you drive around southern Thailand, you'll see shops selling smuggled petrol in bottles. They are not the smugglers, but they are part of the smuggling supply chain."
Meanwhile, Kedah Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry office director Muhammad Nizam Jamaluddin said the ministry would intensify efforts to curb smuggling.