KOTA TINGGI, July 3 — Police arrested 13 men on suspicion of being involved in diesel smuggling activities and seized 138,000 litres of the fuel in a raid at premises in Sungai Bauk, Tanjung Belungkor here, last Friday.

Johor police chief Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said all the individuals, comprising four local men and nine foreigners aged 18 to 62, were nabbed at 11pm through the operation dubbed ‘Op Bersepadu Kontraban’.

He said the modus operandi of the syndicate was to purchase diesel around the state before selling it to local and international markets, including foreign merchant ships, at a price of about RM3.50 per litre.

"They conducted their (smuggling) activities every three days by selling diesel on the black market at a higher price.

"The syndicate was detected a month ago and the premises (raided) was a transit point for the smuggling of subsidised diesel,” he told a media conference at the location of the raid here today.

Kamarul Zaman said police also seized a foreign tanker, four cargo tanks, four fuel suction pumps, two generators, a Toyota Vios car and diesel worth RM386,400, all estimated to be worth RM14.4 million.

One of the suspects has a previous record under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and the case was being investigated under Section 21 of the Control of Supply Act 1961, he added. — Bernama