Kedah police tighten border controls and launch 24-hour roadblocks to prevent subsidised petrol and diesel from being smuggled into Thailand.

GURUN: The Royal Malaysia Police are intensifying enforcement at border areas to combat the smuggling of subsidised petrol and diesel out of the country.

Kedah police chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah stated that roadblocks are being tightened, with 24-hour operations already launched in the Padang Terap district.

He identified the Kubang Pasu and Padang Terap districts as the state’s two main routes bordering Thailand.

Adzli explained that smuggling is incentivised because Malaysia’s subsidised fuel prices remain lower than in neighbouring countries, despite global economic pressures from the West Asia situation.

“We are strengthening enforcement and intelligence gathering to curb such activities,” he said after officiating the launch of Ops Selamat 26 in conjunction with the state-level Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.

The police chief said Ops Selamat 26 will run from March 19 to 24, with an estimated 100,000 vehicles expected to enter Kedah during that period, increasing traffic flow in border areas.

In a separate development, Adzli confirmed that 262 temporary permits for the sale of firecrackers and fireworks have been approved out of more than 400 applications in Kedah.

Commenting on a firecracker explosion in Kampung Tempoyak, Merbok, he said no arrests have been made yet following the incident that injured a four-year-old boy.

“We have recorded statements from the parties involved, and the investigation is still ongoing,” Adzli said.

Bernama had previously reported that the boy lost his left index finger and sustained injuries to his right eyelid in the explosion.

 The Sun Malaysia