By Rebecca Chong
Over RM100,000 smuggled alcohol seized in Sandakan
SANDAKAN: A total of 838 boxes of smuggled alcoholic drinks worth about RM103,233 were seized by a Sandakan marine police in a storeroom at a Taman Mawar shop, Mile 5 here, Monday at around 4pm.
According to Sabah marine police team (District 4) commander ACP Mohamad Pajeri Bin Ali, a team of marine police officers and personnel was conducting an ‘Op Landai Khas’ operation at Taman Mawar when they came across a man opening a store fence.
When the police approached the man and introduced themselves as the police, the man fled the scene and could not be located.
An inspection in the storeroom found a total of 838 boxes of alcoholic drinks, including the following brands - Carlsberg (16 boxes of bottled drinks and 47 boxes in cans), Carlsberg Draught (two boxes of bottled drinks and ten boxes in cans), Asahi (eight boxes of bottled drinks), Heineken (35 boxes of bottled drinks and nine boxes in cans); Anchor (220 boxes of bottled drinks and 47 boxes in cans); Guinness Stout (38 boxes of bottled drinks and 12 boxes in cans), Tiger (108 boxes of bottled drinks and 97 boxes in cans); Skol (130 boxes of bottled drinks).
Other brands of alcoholic beverages found included Royal Stout, Snow, Skye, Binchen, and Apple Fox.
“All the seized items were sent to the Sandakan marine police operational headquarters for further action to be taken.
The case is being investigated under Section 135 (1)(d) of Customs Act 1967, for possessing and keeping untaxed items, which carries the maximum fine of ten times of the total of customs duty or three years’ imprisonment or both, Mohamad Pajeri said.
He urged the local community to cooperate with the marine police by providing useful information to assist in eradicating smuggling activities here.