GOF activates border task force following Middle East oil crisis

KOTA BHARU - The General Operations Force (GOF) has deployed a special task force at the Malaysia-Thailand border in Kelantan to curb fuel smuggling activities to neighbouring countries following geopolitical tensions in the Middle East which are affecting the world's oil supply.

Southeast GOF Brigade Commander SAC Ahmad Radzi Hussain said his force has also deployed an intelligence unit to detect suspicious fuel purchasing activities at petrol stations near the border.

"We are mobilising a task force and intelligence unit to detect any suspicious fuel purchase activities at petrol stations near the border.

"Smugglers are now using various tactics including private and commercial vehicles as well as modifying fuel tanks to increase fuel storage capacity,” he told Bernama recently.

He said the GOF is also conducting patrols at illegal bases and illegal routes along the banks of Sungai Golok.

Ahmad Radzi said stern action would be taken against any party, including petrol station operators, found to be in cahoots with fuel smuggling syndicates.

"GOF will not compromise with any party that tries to take advantage of government subsidies,” he said.

He also urged the public to channel information to the authorities to help curb smuggling activities in the border area.

Yesterday, Bernama reported that 48 petrol stations in the Kelantan-Thailand border area were under continuous monitoring by the Kelantan Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) to curb the purchase of petrol and diesel suspected of being smuggled to neighbouring countries.

Deputy Director of the Kelantan KPDN Aswadi Jaafar was reported to have said that the daily monitoring was carried out by the ministry's enforcement team in two shifts starting from 8am to 6pm.

According to him, half of the petrol stations in question were identified as 'hotspots' because they were within 25 kilometres of the Malaysia-Thailand border.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since Feb 28 following the Israeli and United States (US) attacks on Iran, followed by Tehran's retaliatory attacks on US interests in the Gulf States.

Previously, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government would do its utmost to maintain the price of RON95 at RM1.99 per litre so as not to burden the people.

Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said that although oil prices were reported to be increasing in the global market, the situation in the country was still under control with the low price of RON95 through subsidies targeted. - BERNAMA