Man’s bid to earn extra income foiled by police

MERSING: A 30-year-old man’s plans to earn extra income this Hari Raya was foiled when police seized all of his stock of firecrackers in a raid here.

Mersing OCPD Supt Cyril Edward Nuing said the stash of firecrackers were found inside a storeroom of a hotel here during a raid last Wednesday.

“We found 18 types of firecrackers in the hotel storeroom.

“The suspect is believed to have taken them in batches to sell them at the night markets and Ramadan bazaars,” he said here yesterday adding that the prices varied depending on the size and types.

“The suspect has been selling firecrackers for the past month due to the coming Hari Raya celebrations.

“He does not have a fixed job and has no past criminal record,” he said, adding that the man was later released on bail.

Supt Cyril said police were investigating how the suspect managed to get the supply of firecrackers.

He said the case was being investigated under Section 8 of the Explosives Act 1957, which carries a jail term of up to seven years or RM10,000 fine or both upon conviction.

In another raid, policemen seized 19 boxes of illegal cigarettes at a house in Endau near here at 11pm last Friday.

The officers found 10 brands of cigarettes believed to have been smuggled from a neighbouring country.

“We are still investigating who the owner of the house is and will conduct an arrest once we have enough information,” he said.

Both fireworks and cigarette seized are estimated to be worth RM173,685.

Contraband haul: Supt Cyril (left), holding a packet of fireworks and illegal cigarettes that were smuggled from a neighbouring country at a press conference at Mersing police district headquarters here yesterday.