MELAKA - A team from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) here seized 460 kilogrammes (kg) of bottled cooking oil and 1,176 kg of coarse grain sugar worth more than RM7,000 in a raid on an unlicensed store in Ayer Keroh here yesterday.
Melaka KPDNHEP director Norena Jaafar said the 12.30pm raid on the store found it to be a holding place for a grocery store located at a row of shophouses in the area.
"From preliminary investigations, the retail store has a valid licence and sells packet cooking oil in accordance with the regulations. However, another premises was discovered to be an unlicensed storage and the trader was suspected of hoarding controlled goods," she said here today.
She said the 60-year-old grocer admitted the confiscated goods were indeed held as stock, but she believed traders are likely to increase prices, notably bottled cooking oil if the price of crude palm oil rises.
"They are reminded not to hide controlled items but to put them on sale so as not to disrupt market supply. If they want to store a large amount, they must obtain a licence from KPDNHEP and the amount of storage allowed also depends on the size of the premises."
She also appealed to the public for information on hoarding to contact KPDNHEP via Facebook.
"We have set up a 'Kami Terjah' squad to curb the misappropriation of packet cooking oil and conduct raids from public information channelled to the KPDNHEP Melaka FB," she added. - BERNAMA