TUMPAT, Oct 8 — The Marine Police Force (PPM) recorded a total of 1,336 cases of smuggling of raw materials like cooking oil, diesel and flour, with the value of seizures estimated at RM193.4 million from 2022 to September 2024 nationwide.

Bukit Aman PPM Commander SAC Norzaid Muhammad Said said all the cases were investigated under the Control of Supplies Act 1961.

He said that, as of September, the PPM recorded the highest estimated value of seizures, at RM82.3 million, followed by RM71.7 million in 2022 and RM39.3 million in 2023.

In addition, the PPM Region 3 of Pengkalan Kubor had, during the same period, recorded 506 cases, with the value of seizures estimated at nearly RM6 million.

"The biggest seizure (by PPM Region 3) was in 2022, with an estimated value of RM3.5 million, followed by RM1.03 million in 2023 and RM1.4 million as of September,” he told reporters after the PPM Strategic Collaboration with the Enforcement Division of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) meeting here today.

Elaborating, Norzaid said inter-agency collaboration was crucial to ensuring more effective implementation of action during operations and the prosecution process, especially under the Control of Supplies Act 1961.

According to him, the aspects of enforcement and strategic collaboration in tackling the issue of leakages of controlled items, especially at the country’s borders and waters, need to be implemented as best possible and in line with the government’s policies that targeted subsidies to the target groups.

Meanwhile, commenting on the effectiveness of the collaboration between PPM and KPDN from 2022 to September 2024, he said 127 cases were recorded, with a value of seizure of almost RM4 million.

He explained that in the latest operation involving PPM and KDN from Oct 1-7, eight cases were recorded, with an overall value of seizure of RM80,000, which included 1,675 litres of petrol, 850 kilogrammes of cooking oil and eight vehicles. — Bernama