Diesel smuggler surrenders after being chased for 50km

TUMPAT - A diesel smuggler had to surrender and stop his vehicle after being chased for 50 kilometres by authorities from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDN) in Kelantan yesterday.

In the 5pm incident, the 24-year-old man involved was pursued from Bachok to Kota Bharu until Pasir Pekan, Tumpat.

Kelantan KPDN Director Azman Ismail said that they suspected a locally registered Proton Wira Aeroback car to be carrying smuggled diesel.

"Before that, the suspect was seen behaving suspiciously, wandering around the streets in Kota Bharu.

"The suspect also made repeated purchases of diesel at several petrol stations," he said when contacted today.

He stated that the enforcement officers then pursued the suspect, and upon realising he was being chased, the man drove his vehicle in high speed towards Tumpat via the Sultan Yahya Petra Bridge-Pasir Pekan.

Azman said that the suspect, a local, eventually stopped his vehicle after getting tired of being pursued since Bachok.

He mentioned that further inspection of the vehicle revealed 800 litres of diesel filled in jerry cans, with an estimated seized value of RM1,720.

"Ops Pencegahan Ketirisan Barang Kawalan (operation to prevent the smuggling of controlled goods) around Kota Bharu-TTumpat and the national border also involved the Maritime Police Force in Wilayah Tiga, Pengkalan Kubor, and Tumpat.

"Kelantan KPDN consistently enhances enforcement tasks to combat controlled goods smuggling activities in the state from time to time," he said.