Marine police confiscate contraband worth more than RM400,000

KUCHING: The marine police believe they have crippled a smuggling syndicate in an operation on Tuesday.

Called Ops Landai, the operation at Sungai Bukit Segaban, Lawas netted six suspects and RM415,000 worth of contraband, including liquor.

Addressing a pressing conference yesterday, Marine District 5 commander Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Salleh Mat Jani said Assistant Superintendent Mohammad Sapardi Abdul Samad led his men to an area frequently used by smugglers and chanced upon the suspects, all locals, in the midst of putting boxes into a six-tonne container.

According to him, the suspects, aged between 20 and 28 years old were cooperative as the enforcers went through the contraband — 704 bottles of liquor and 8,400 cans of alcoholic drink of various brands. “These smuggled items were aimed for the local market,” said Salleh.

The enforcers also confiscated a speedboat along with four 200-horse power engines.

Asst Comm Salleh also said they believed the suspects must have taken the items from a neighbouring country.

The case was being investigated under Section 135 (d) Customs Act 1965 which provides for a minimum fine of 10 times the value of the items and a maximum four years’ imprisonment.

Posted by Lawasian on Khamis, Februari 02, 2012. Filed under Jenayah, Pilihan Editor . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry