In Local News / by Jonathan James Tan / 6 August 2026 12:20 pmAccording to Kelantan’s domestic trade and cost of living ministry (KPDN), ‘ant army’ tactics are being used to smuggle fuel across the Malaysia-Thailand border – in other words, transporting fuel in small quantities repeatedly, Bernama reports. This follows heightened enforcement through the integrated Op Tiris 4.0 and joint operations involving multiple agencies, state KPDN director Hanif Yusabra Yusuf said. A total of 135 individuals have been arrested and 193 vehicles totalling RM1.875 million in value have been seized. “The value of seized controlled goods amounted to RM552,000, including 24,446 litres of petrol worth RM63,500 and 48,500 litres of diesel worth RM218,000. Besides the ‘ant army’ tactic, syndicates are still modifying vehicle fuel tanks, installing extra tanks in vehicles, transferring fuel collected in stages from several petrol stations into drums, transporting the fuel through illegal routes, and frequently changing movement timings and locations to avoid detection.