ALOR SETAR, Nov 14 — The Royal Malaysian Customs Department foiled an attempt to smuggle out 3,730 litres of subsidised diesel worth over RM8,000 in Ops Gegar, which was carried out on November 7 at the northern border.

Kedah Customs director Nor Izah Abd Latiff said in the operation, a team from the Alor Setar enforcement branch stopped four trailers near a duty-free shop in the Bukit Kayu Hitam area at 8pm.

"All the trailers, driven by four Thai men aged 20 to 50s, were on their way out to a neighbouring country. One trailer was carrying a load of rolled paper while the other three trailers were empty.

"Upon inspection, we found that the fuel tanks of all the trailers had been modified with special compartments believed to store diesel. The total amount of diesel seized from all the trailers was estimated to be 3,730 litres,” she said today.

Nor Izah said the diesel was believed to have been obtained from different warehouses within the Bukit Kayu Hitam Industrial Area before it was siphoned into the special compartments to be smuggled out across the border through the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex.

"We are investigating the case under Section 135(1)(e) of the Customs Act 1967,” she said. — Bernama