Father, son among five detained for violating MCO in Lahad Datu

LAHAD DATU: Police detained a father and his son here on Wednesday for violating the Movement Control Order (MCO) and possessing 41 packs of smuggled cigarettes.

District Police Chief, ACP Nasri Mansor said the 34-year-old man and his 15-year-old son were detained during a patrol police behind the fish market here.

Nasri said the police came across the two suspects who were behaving in a suspicious manner at about 10am and found 41 packs of cigarettes believed to be smuggled as well as cash from inspection on them later found 41 packs of cigarettes believed to be smuggled cigarettes as well as cash from the sale of cigarettes.

The two suspects were detained who also violated the MCO and were taken to police headquarters for further action, he said.

“Further investigation found that they have been selling cigarettes since March 30 from 8am to noon although they were aware of the MCO implementation,” he said.

Nasri said the police seized 10 packs of LA cigarettes, 28 packs of Astro Hijau, two packs of Satu, one pack of Absolute and about RM1,179 in cash.

The case, he said, was classified under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967, Section 22(b) of Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease 1988 (Act 342) and Rules 11 of Prevention and

Control of Infectious Disease (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020.

Meanwhile, Nasri said another three men were arrested on Wednesday at main gate of Sahabat 2, Anjung Teduh in Cenderawasih for violating the MCO.

He said the three suspects including siblings aged between 18 and 33 were detained around 7.50pm by RELA members and handed over to the Cenderawasih Police Station.

He said the siblings, who live in Anjung Teduh, went to the main gate on a motorcycle to pick up their friend from Sahabat 4 to stay in their house.

When they arrived at the main gate, a RELA member told them that they were not allowed to get out of the house without reasonable excuses but they insisted, he added.

A few minutes later, their friend arrived and the RELA members detained them after giving a second warning, Nasri said.