Syndicate repackaging subsidised cooking oil as prayer oil busted

KUALA LUMPUR: In a crackdown on illicit activities, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry in Kuala Lumpur has dismantled a syndicate that repackaged subsidized cooking oil into prayer oil. Deputy Director Mohd Shahran Mohd Arshad revealed that the four simultaneous raids, part of Operation Tiris 4.0, yielded three related cases and seized nine tonnes of oil, valued at approximately RM165,000.

Intelligence gathering and supply profiling conducted over two months led to the operation targeting four premises in Sentul and Chow Kit, including two licensed wholesalers and two unlicensed locations. The syndicate's scheme entailed purchasing one-kilogram packets of subsidized cooking oil from producers and wholesalers, repackaging it into bottles, and reselling it as prayer oil at a higher price.

This practice, conducted without additives or with minimal additions, allowed the syndicate to earn a profit of around RM4 per litre. At one site alone, about 200 bottles or roughly one tonne of subsidized cooking oil were processed daily, with evidence suggesting the premises had been operating unlawfully for the past six months.

Five individuals ranging in age from 30 to 35—three Indians, a Sri Lankan, and a local van driver—were arrested. The investigation is ongoing under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and the Trade Descriptions Act 2011, specifically targeting the use of unregistered labels.