Two Malaysian delivery drivers jailed over fuel thefts

SINGAPORE - Two Malaysian delivery drivers, Seri Bala Murugan Krishnan, 43, and Jayashankar Subramaniam, 38, were each sentenced to eight months in jail on Monday (Nov 10) for fuel theft.

The pair, who are friends, repeatedly stole fuel from other vehicles to save on their refuelling allowance.

According to The Straits Times, they used hoses to drain diesel fuel from heavy vehicles into containers, and later transferred it into their own vehicles.

The offences occurred between Aug and Oct this year, during which they stole almost 3,000 litres of diesel fuel amounting to $4,000.

The court heard that the duo decided to "re-fuel for free" after hearing about delivery runs from a person known as "Appu"..

The pair's crimes were brought to light after Seri Bala was caught trying to steal 18 litres of diesel from a prime mover along Chin Bee Drive, The Straits Times reported.

For each charge of theft, the pair could have been jailed for up to three years and fined.

stephluo@sph.com.sg