13 ARRESTED IN COUNTERFEIT ENGINE OIL CRACKDOWN

PETALING JAYA, April 29 (Bernama) -- Three premises suspected of bottling and distributing engine oil using counterfeit trademarks were raided in a joint operation by police and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) in Ara Damansara and Kepong today.

Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department’s Wildlife Crime Bureau/Special Intelligence Investigation (WCB/PSK) Deputy Director SAC Mohammad Azlin Sadari said 13 individuals, including seven foreign nationals from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, were arrested during the raid.

“The raids were conducted following nearly two months of intelligence gathering. Initial investigations revealed that the syndicate allegedly rebottled engine oil and affixed labels of well-known local and international vehicle manufacturers without authorisation, using fake addresses on the bottles.

“They then marketed the products via e-commerce platforms and social media. The syndicate is believed to have been operating for two to three years and had raked in millions of ringgit in profits,” he told reporters here today.

The operation, involving WCB/PSK personnel from Bukit Aman and KPDN enforcement officers, was led by WCB/PSK Intelligence/Special Investigation Principal Assistant Director ACP Zulkarnain Samsudin. Seized items included engine oil, empty bottles and labels bearing various brand names.

“Police are still investigating the source of the engine oil used by the syndicate, while the total value of items seized from all three locations is also being determined,” said Mohammad Azlin.

The case is being investigated under Section 102 1(c) of the Trademarks Act 2019 and Section 5 of the Trade Descriptions Act 2011.

Meanwhile, a Bernama check at the Ara Damansara premises found it to be a commercial unit filled with engine oil bottles of various brands and large tanks believed to be used for storing and rebottling oil into four-litre containers.

-- BERNAMA