PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) will continue the ‘Ops Tiris’ enforcement operations, particularly under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATPUAA) (Act 613), with several aspects of improvements to be made.
Ops Tiris was implemented by the KPDN to combat the misappropriation and smuggling of subsidised diesel.
KPDN enforcement director-general Datuk Azman Adam said that there is still abuse of subsidised diesel by irresponsible parties, including petrol station operators, resulting in losses to the government.
“We are of the view that until Ops Tiris succeeds in producing something positive, and achieves the target to reduce (diesel) misappropriation, we will continue,” he said, in a press conference regarding the enforcement of AMLATPUAA 2001 for the year 2023, here today.
For the record, misappropriation of subsidised diesel of 500,000 litres and above involves the enforcement of Act 613, while below this amount is subject to the Control of Supplies Act 1961.
Azman said that in 2023, there were 877 cases under Ops Tiris involving Act 613, with the value of seizures amounting to 6.44 million litres of diesel, worth RM14.21 million, while the value of seizures other than diesel, such as vehicles, and equipment such as hoses and tanks, amounts to RM42.13 million.
“Under the enforcement of Act 613 last year, as much as RM1.7 million worth of compound has been settled, while RM137,517.69 worth of movable property has been forfeited and turned into government revenue,” he said.
He said that a total of RM1,852,570.69 had been successfully recovered, to be used as government revenue from cases subjected to forfeiture without prosecution, and through the issuance of compounds. -Bernama