Singh (right) and other police officers with the confiscated lorry that has been modified.
The suspect (right) being led away by police.
PUTATAN: A local man will face the music when he was not only detained for smuggling 5,000 litres of subsidized diesel but also tried to bribe enforcement personnel with RM10,000 for his release.
The incident happened when a team of police and Sabah Civil Defence Department (JPAM) personnel spotted a suspicious three-tone lorry along the Papar/Lok Kawi Road around 5am yesterday.
Upon stopping and inspecting the lorry, enforcement personnel found about 5,000 liters of diesel stored in a modified container at the rear of the vehicle.
It was said that the 39-year-old suspect then tried to bribe the enforcement personnel by verbally offering RM10,000 for his release without any action taken.
His action, however, backfired as enforcement personnel were not interested in the offer but instead detained the suspect for two counts of offences.
The suspect was taken to the Penampang police headquarters for further investigation while the diesel and lorry were brought to the Putatan police station.
Meanwhile, Penampang police chief DSP Ratan Kumar Singh, when met at the Putatan police station, applauded his men and JPAM personnel for their honesty in carrying out their duties.
“We will not compromise with any party who tries to bribe law enforcement,” he said.
Ratan said the confiscated items would be handed over to the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism to be investigated under the Supply Control Act 1961, while the suspect had been detained for further investigation.