SANDAKAN: The police seized 1,472 cartons of illicit cigarettes and 66 boxes of contraband alcohol in two separate operations here, on Saturday.
In the first operation, a team from the State Region 4 Marine Police found a van suspiciously abandoned in Kampung Maliau, at 9.30am.
Sabah marine police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Pajeri Ali said his men patrolling the area during Ops Landai Khas found 1,124 cartons of contraband cigarettes and 66 boxes of liquor with unpaid duties upon inspecting the van.
“The value of the items and van, which was seized during the operation, is estimated at RM475,100,” he said in a statement today.
Mohamad said intelligence-gathering by the same team led them to the discovery of another 347 cartons of illicit cigarettes hidden inside bushes near the fish market in Telupid.
The value of the contraband seized during the second operation, said Mohamad, is estimated at about more than RM100,000.
“We believe that the suspects abandoned the cigarettes inside the bushes once they learned about the presence of our team within the vicinity,” he said.
The contraband seized in both operations were taken to the Sandakan marine police operations base for further action.
He said the case will be investigated under Section 135 (1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967 for possession or selling of smuggled cigarettes.
Later during the evening, the Beluran district General Operations Force (GOF) arrested a teenager from the Philippines suspected of smuggling cigarettes into the state.
The enforcement team also seized 3,400 boxes of illicit cigarettes when they arrested the 17-year-old suspect near a jetty in Kampung Mangkalinau, Batu 3, at 10.30pm.
Beluran 20th Battalion GOF commander Assistant Commissioner Mohd Nasaruddin M Nasir said his men were patrolling the area when they spotted a passenger boat berthing at the jetty.
A struggle ensued when the suspect acted aggressively when he was approached by the enforcement team. The teenager was eventually apprehended.
“Preliminary investigation showed that the value of the contraband after tax is RM158,780,” he said, adding that the two-engine passenger boat is valued at RM46,000.
The case, he said, has been handed over to the Customs Department.