SANDAKAN: A joint operation involving Marine Police Force and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) here led to the arrest of four suspects and seizure of crude and processed palm oil worth nearly RM3 million.
The integrated operation, conducted around 3:30pm, Thursday, involved simultaneous raids at two separate locations in Sandakan.
In the first along the Sandakan-Kinabatangan roadside, authorities detained four male suspects aged between 20 and 45.
The individuals were caught red-handed transferring Crude Palm Oil (CPO) from a tanker lorry into another storage tank for transport to a different location.
Two tanker lorries containing the CPO were confiscated on site.
The second raid occurred at a premises in Bandar Ramai-Ramai, Sandakan, where enforcement personnel discovered another tanker lorry and several storage tanks filled with both crude palm oil (CPO) and processed palm oil (PPO).
The total haul was valued at RM2,965,400, comprising 75,000 litres of palm oil products.
According to Commander of PPM Wilayah 4 Sabah, ACP Mohd Nazri Ibrahim, the case is being investigated under the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (Licensing) Regulations 2005.
He added that so far in 2025, PPM Wilayah 4 has recorded 11 cases and arrested 23 individuals, with the total value of seizures exceeding RM12.2 million.
The force remains focused on combating cross-border crimes and smuggling activities in national waters, particularly in maritime hotspots near neighboring countries.
Nazri urged the public to report any suspicious activities that may threaten national interests or local communities.
Reports can be made directly to the PPM operations room via telephone at 088-454819 or through the official Facebook page of PPM Wilayah 4 Sabah.
