Two Thais plead not guilty to charge of possessing controlled item
PUBLISHED : 2 Aug 2024 at 11:08
A man and a woman from Thailand have been charged in Malaysia for possessing petrol, which is classified as a controlled item in the southern neighbouring country.
The allegations were read out at the Malaysian court in Alor Setar on Wednesday, and the pair from Songkhla pleaded not guilty, according to the Bernama news agency.
Abdullah Saleesing, 21, and Phatcharee Hama, 38, were arrested on Saturday in Kedah state, near the border with Songkhla. Authorities discovered that the fuel tanks of the Malaysian-registered vehicles they were driving had been modified to conceal the petrol in the rear seats. The vehicle driven by Mr Abdullah contained 100 litres of petrol, while Ms Phatcharee’s vehicle held 60 litres.
If found guilty, they could face fines of up to 1 million ringgit (7.7 million baht) and/or sentences of up to three years in prison.
The two were released on bail, but the court has ordered them to report to the nearest police station each month.
Malaysian authorities have intensified operations in border states to combat fuel smuggling, driven by the higher gasoline and diesel prices in Thailand.
The incident took place despite warnings from the Thai consulate-general in Penang, advising Thais travelling to northern Malaysia about the ongoing crackdown.
Alor Setar is the capital of Kedah, one of the states bordering Songkhla.
The Malaysian official news agency did not specify when the trial for this case will begin.