Seven Malaysian states flagged as diesel and fuel smuggling hotspots

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency’s director-general, Admiral Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah, warned that seven states are vulnerable to the illegal movement of diesel, petrol and other regulated commodities. Sabah and Sarawak face the greatest risk because of their extensive coastlines, numerous islands and closeness to the maritime borders of the Philippines and Indonesia. Kelantan and Terengganu are singled out for diesel smuggling due to their location near Thailand and Vietnam in the South China Sea.

Kedah and Perlis also rank high, with smugglers exploiting waters that border southern Thailand to move petrol and other goods. Johor is considered moderately high risk because of its proximity to the international waters of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. The agency says criminal syndicates typically employ foreign fishing boats and conduct the transfers outside Malaysia’s territorial sea.