The domestic trade and cost of living ministry’s Kelantan chapter said the suspects, two men and a woman, were arrested at the Rantau Panjang customs, immigration, quarantine and security complex at 7.30am on Wednesday.

The suspects, aged 35 to 56, were driving Proton Wajas and had a total of 160 litres of petrol.

“Checks found that all three vehicles had their tanks fully filled with petrol but the suspects could not produce receipts proving they had purchased the fuel legally.

“All three of them later admitted that they planned to sell the petrol in Thailand,” it said in a Facebook post.

The cases are being investigated under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act for the unlawful possession of controlled goods.

The government has pledged to crack down on the misappropriation and smuggling of subsidised fuel amid the surge in global oil prices.