A Bangladeshi man who evaded authorities for nearly three years has been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and fined RM20,000 by the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court for illegally possessing more than 35,000 litres of diesel without a licence.
Judge Raja Noor Adilla Raja Mahyaldin handed down the sentence after considering the accused’s guilty plea, the facts of the case and submissions from the prosecution.
The court also ordered that the 42-year-old, Altaf Aziz Kardar, serve an additional six months in prison if he failed to pay the fine. He subsequently settled the amount.
According to the charge, Altaf Aziz and two other individuals were found to have control over 35,653 litres of diesel, a scheduled controlled item, at a storage facility along Jalan PK 20 in the Krubong Industrial Area at about 3pm on Oct 6, 2023.
He was charged with dealing in diesel, either at the retail or wholesale level, without a valid licence, an offence under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961. The offence carries a maximum penalty of RM1 million in fines, three years’ imprisonment, or both upon conviction.
Court documents stated that enforcement officers from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) conducted a raid at the premises at about 5.30pm on the same day after discovering it was being used as an illegal storage and transfer facility for diesel without a special permit or a valid Controlled Scheduled Articles Wholesale Licence (CSA).
During the raid, three workers, including the accused, were found transferring diesel between storage tanks.
Investigations revealed that Altaf Aziz was employed at the premises with a monthly salary of RM1,800 and was responsible for storing, transferring and loading diesel into tanker lorries before it was sold to customers.
Authorities seized the suspected diesel, skid tanks, fuel hoses and tanker lorries during the operation. Laboratory analysis by the Chemistry Department later confirmed that the seized liquid was diesel.
Earlier, the accused, who was unrepresented, pleaded guilty and appealed for a lighter sentence, asking the court to spare him from imprisonment as he supports his wife, two young children and elderly parents in Bangladesh.
However, KPDN prosecuting officers Muhammad Ashraf Nashruddin Ahmad Nazri and Norhysham Md Noor urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence to serve as a deterrent to both the accused and the public.
The prosecution also informed the court that Altaf Aziz was initially arrested on Oct 6, 2023, but absconded before court documents could be served. He remained at large until his re-arrest on June 11, 2026.
The prosecutors argued that, as a foreign national, the accused was expected to comply with Malaysian laws and should not have committed the offence.
