The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) in Kedah has opened three investigation papers involving suspected misuse of fleet cards, with all cases currently under ongoing investigation.
Kedah KPDN Enforcement Chief Officer, Zalina Aziz, said the department is also conducting a review of companies granted fleet card facilities to ensure compliance with set conditions and to prevent abuse.
She said discrepancies have been detected in some declarations, where companies may claim to operate a certain number of lorries, but actual checks reveal fewer vehicles in operation.
Action will be recommended for cancellation of fleet card privileges if any violations of conditions or misuse are confirmed, she added.
Separately, Zalina said Ops Tiris Bersepadu 4.0, carried out in collaboration with multiple agencies including the police, has recorded 30 cases in the state so far.
She said the cases involve 16 diesel-related seizures and 14 petrol-related cases, with total seizure value estimated at RM1.4 million and 26 vehicles confiscated.
Zalina noted that enforcement efforts are being carried out by around 190 officers across five branches in the state, but monitoring remains challenging due to the large number of petrol stations.
Out of 362 petrol stations in Kedah, 30 are placed under close monitoring, including 18 located in border areas such as Bukit Kayu Hitam, Durian Burung and Baling.
She added that industrial zones such as Sungai Petani and Kulim pose greater challenges due to high traffic flow and extensive industrial areas, making fuel smuggling activities harder to detect.
Authorities also observed that offenders often change vehicles and registration numbers to avoid detection and tend to operate during early morning hours when surveillance is lower.
Despite these challenges, she said close cooperation with the police has improved intelligence sharing, operational effectiveness and safety for enforcement officers on the ground.
