SEMPORNA: The Marine Police Force (MPF) foiled an attempt to smuggle in cosmetic items worth about RM320,000.
They had spotted two speedboats carrying the items during a patrol off Kampung Kuala Bilang, at 8.30pm, on Tuesday (Feb 27).
Sabah Region Four MPF Commander ACP Ahmad Ariffin said the boats sped off after noticing the presence of marine police, prompting a chase.
“After pursuing the boats for some 20 minutes, our men saw the people on board throwing things into the sea,” he said, Thursday.
He added the boats then managed to escape into the dark.
“We recovered 10 large boxes that were discarded earlier which contained cosmetics. Our team then scoured a mangrove swamp near the village and found the two boats tied to a mangrove tree.
“A check on the boats led to the discovery of 70 more large boxes containing the same items,” said Ahmad.
He added the seized items are believed to have originated from the Philippines and are estimated to be valued at RM320,540.
The items have been brought to the Semporna marine police base, he said, adding the case would be referred to the Tawau Pharmacy Department for further probe.
