00:00The leader of a syndicate smuggling subsidised cooking oil to Thailand pleaded not guilty
00:07in the Kota Bharu Sessions Court on Wednesday to two counts of possessing scheduled controlled
00:12goods. For the first count, Ahmad Nizamuddin Setapa, also known as Datuk John, was charged
00:19with possessing 7,135 kilograms of one kilo cooking oil packets at a premises in Kampung
00:26Nibong Bacok at 4.40pm on November 22, 2022. For the second count, the 28-year-old was accused
00:36of possessing 8,348 kilograms of one kilo cooking oil packets in front of the Kota Bharu Police
00:43Station at 9.15pm on November 24, 2022. The charges were framed under Section 21, Subsection 1
00:52of the Control of Supplies Act, 1961, punishable under Section 22, Subsection 1 of the same act.
01:01Ahmad Nizamuddin faces a maximum fine of one million ringgit, or up to three years jail,
01:07or both, upon conviction. The court allowed bail of 15,000 ringgit with one surety and ordered the
01:13accused to report to the Kelantan KPDN office on the first Sunday of each month and not to disturb
01:19any prosecution witnesses. The case was set for mention on October 29. On Monday, KPDN Kelantan
01:27Director Azman Ismail revealed that the syndicate smuggled subsidized cooking oil through illegal
01:33bases along Sungai Golok and the ICQS complex in Rantau Panjang. Large quantities were transported via
01:41Sungai Golok, while smaller amounts were smuggled in luxury vehicles driven by two enforcement officers
01:47who were arrested for alleged counter-setting for the syndicate. Investigations also revealed that
01:53Datuk John allegedly sourced the cooking oil from Negeri Sembilan and Selangor.
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