SEMPORNA: Marine police detained a local boat skipper and foiled an attempt to smuggle out 255 packets of cooking oil on Monday.
A team on patrolling duty under “Op Taring Gelora” off Pulau Denawan waters spotted the suspicious boat at 11.50am.
Sabah (Region Four) Marine Police Commander ACP Ahmad Ariffin said 15 boxes containing 17 packets of cooking oil each were found on the boat.
He said the boat skipper failed to produce any documents for possessing the controlled items.
“The seized items were believed to be smuggled out to a neighbouring country,” he said, adding the seizures, including the boat and engine, were worth RM91,880.
The seized items and the suspect were taken to the Semporna Marine Police base for further action under the Control of Supplies Act 1961.
The empty oil drums seized in Kudat.
Meanwhile, in KUDAT, a suspected smuggler was detained while two others managed to escape as marine police foiled an attempt to sneak controlled goods out of the country on Monday.
Marine police personnel were patrolling off Tanjung Meniagit Banggi during “Ops Gelora” when they spotted three men in a boat behaving suspiciously. Ahmad Ariffin said his men approached the boat when two of its occupants suddenly jumped into the sea and swam away.
“The operation team managed to detain the sole suspect left behind, a 26-year-old man who did not possess any identification documents,” he said.
An inspection of the seized boat found 30 empty oil drums which police believe were intended to be used in smuggling subsidised items to Mangsee Island in the Philippines.
The suspect is being investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for illegal entry into the country, he added.
