PAPAR, SABAH – Sabah General Operations Force (GOF) police seized a whopping RM 6.1 mill worth of contraband cigarettes, alcohol and diesel fuel in four separate raids across the state in three day operations ending Wednesday.
A total of 12 men including four foreigners were rounded-up from the scenes in Tawau, Lahad Datu and Penampang.
Sabah GOF Brigade Commander Abduh Ismail said the first raid involved diesel fuel seizures at a storage facility along Jalan Dr Yamamoto in Tawau about 4pm.
“Inspections revealed two tank lorries filled with approximately 16,900 liters of diesel seized along with a motorcycle and a 4WD vehicle all worth RM 274,679…
“Seven men aged around 17 to 53-years-old believed to be accomplices of the subsidized fuel reselling racket were detained,” he said.
Abduh detailed the second raid also in Tawau to involve contraband cigarettes stashed inside a tanker lorry along Jalan apas in Sungai Balung.
The 7.20am raid on Wednesday he said was carried out by the 14th Battalion intelligence team acting on information by the public.
Cartons of untaxed cigarettes worth RM 1,137,860 and were found inside. A 39-year-old man was also arrested to aid investigations.
On the same day in Lahad Datu, another intelligence team from the 17th Battalion raided a store room in Jalan Segama revealing 29,321 cartons of cigarettes worth at least RM 4,111,132.
“A 33 year old male who confessed to be the store keeper was arrested. The final 9.25pm raid at the Penampang Commercial Centre saw crates of untaxed beer worth RM 264,385 seized together with the arrests of three men aged between 20 to 49-years-old…
“Investigations for all four cases are being conducted under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act,” he said.
