PPDNKK vehicle rammed by petrol smuggling suspect

A team of enforcement officers from the Kelantan Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Office (PPDNKK) was almost killed after the vehicle they were travelling in was rammed into.

In the 9pm incident on Tuesday, the officers detected two cars suspected to be involved with smuggling petrol at a petrol station in Kampung Jerus, near here.

Enforcement chief Ab Ghani Harun said the two suspects then drove off with the cars, one of which rammed into the vehicle carrying the enforcement officers during their attempt to escape.

"Prior to the incident, the male suspects were filling petrol into Jerry cans at the station before fleeing upon realising our presence," he told reporters here.

He said according to their investigations, the two cars were believed to be smuggling petrol into a neighbouring country through illegal bases at the Malaysia-Thailand border in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas and Tumpat.

"After crashing into our vehicle, the suspect left his car and got away. Our officers were not hurt in the incident," said Ab Ghani.

He said they found 18 Jerry cans containing 30 litres of RON95 petrol, in addition to nine empty Jerry cans.

Ab Ghani said initial investigations revealed the station operator sold the petrol in large quantities after receiving a payment of RM1,000 from the suspect.

He added that they will take action on the petrol station onwer as it was his second offence. The first was in October last year.