KUALA NERUS: The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry Terengganu branch detained a tourist vessel suspected of being involved in the illegal transfer of diesel at a private jetty in Kampung Batin here on Wednesday (April 6) night.

       Its director, Saharuddin Mohd Kia said during the operation on Wednesday, three local men in their 30s who worked on the vessel were also detained.

       He said that prior to the raid, the the vessel had been monitored for over three months as a result of public information and his team's own intelligence.

       "We succeeded in seizing 46,000 litres of diesel as well as the tourist ship that had been modified for embezzlement purposes. The estimated value of the total seizure is almost RM400,000.

       "During the raid, the three men were in the midst of transferring the diesel from a square tank on the vessel to a skid tank on a private jetty," he told a media conference at the Kampung Batin private jetty on Thursday (April 7).

       He said the investigation into ascertaining the actual owner of the vessel and source of the diesel would be conducted in detail.

       He added that his team welcomes the public's cooperation with information to help investigate the case. - Bernama