4 men arrested in special anti-smuggling op, items worth more than RM35 million seized

KUALA LUMPUR: The police arrested 14 men, including 10 foreign nationals, in four separate raids in a special operation around Bintulu, Sarawak, and seized items worth RM35.946 million.

Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Kamarudin Md Din said in a statement that three raids were conducted simultaneously on May 20, while the last raid was conducted on May 23.

In the first raid, a man was arrested and 32,000 litres of subsidised diesel, 32 Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) a four fuel pumps and hoses with a value of RM140,200 were seized, while in the second raid, one man was arrested and 10,030 subsidised diesel, 16 IBCs, three fuel pumps, hoses and a digital meter worth RM54,093 were seized.

In the third raid, six foreign men were arrested and 7,172 litres of alcohol, 250,000 cigarettes and two vans worth a total of RM3.118 million were seized, while in the last raid, six men, including four foreigners, were arrested and 146,720 litres of subsidised diesel, two tugboats, a fuel tanker vessel, three fuel pumps with hoses, a bonded truck, a skid tank and two IBCs worth a total of RM32.633 million were seized.

He added that the first, second and fourth cases are being investigated under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961, while the third case is being investigated under Section 135 of the Customs ACt 1967, Section 6(1)(c) and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

According to Mohd Kamarudin, his department has conducted 82 raid throughout the country and arrested 185 individuals to curb smuggling activities from Jan 1 to May 24 this year.