The General Operations Force (GOF) has launched a special task force along the Malaysia–Thailand border to tackle fuel smuggling activities into neighbouring Thailand.
Southeast GOF Brigade Commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Radzi Hussain, said an intelligence unit has also been activated to monitor suspicious fuel purchases at petrol stations near the border. “Smugglers are employing a variety of tactics, including private and commercial vehicles and modified fuel tanks to increase storage capacity,” he told Bernama.
Patrols are being conducted along illegal routes and bases near the Sungai Golok river, with Radzi warning that strict action will be taken against anyone, including petrol station operators, found collaborating with smuggling syndicates. He urged the public to report suspicious activities to help curb illegal fuel trade.
Authorities reported that 48 petrol stations along the Kelantan–Thailand border are under continuous monitoring by the Kelantan Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) to prevent the diversion of petrol and diesel abroad. Enforcement teams are conducting daily monitoring in two shifts from 8am to 6pm, with half of the stations identified as high-risk “hotspots” within 25km of the border.
The move comes amid rising global oil prices following heightened tensions in the Middle East, after airstrikes by Israel and the United States on Iran and retaliatory attacks on US interests in the Gulf.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who also serves as Finance Minister, previously affirmed that the government would maintain the price of RON95 petrol at RM1.99 per litre, ensuring that domestic fuel subsidies continue to shield Malaysians from the impact of global price hikes.
