By Christy Chok
Nine held, 117 gas tanks among RM120,000 seizure
TAWAU: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) seized about 117 LPG tanks, 3,224 kilograms of cooking oil, 2,760 kilograms of sugar, 2,400 kilograms of flour and 490 kilograms of rice from two vessels during Ops Pluto Timur yesterday.
Maritime Commander deputy director (Operational) Romli bin Hj Mustafa said the seized items, including the vessels, were worth about RM120,000.
He said it was believed that all the subsidised items were meant to be taken to a neighbouring country without valid documents from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.
Seized with the first vessel were 20 LPG gas tanks and 12 boxes of cooking oil weighing 204 kilograms. The boat was bound for Sebatik from Jetty Log Pond here at about 11.30am yesterday.
Initial investigation showed a 60-year-old local skipper of the cargo vessel was ferrying three passengers, a 32-year-old female, a 23-year-old male and a sevenyear-old boy. All three did not have any personal documents.
Romli said they would investigate this case under Supply Control Act 1961 and Immigration Act 1959/63.
At about 7.20pm yesterday, the MMEA seized 97 LPG tanks, 3,020 kilograms of cooking oil, 2,760 kilograms of sugar, 2,400 kilograms of flour and 490 kilograms of rice from a vessel at Log Pond waters.
“We also detained a 47-yearold Malaysian boat skipper, a 44year-old male, two women aged 50 and 65 respectively as well as a 49-year-old Indonesian man in the vessel for investigations,” he added.
Meanwhie, the maritime also detained three foreign fishing boats believed from Indonesia at Inderasabah waters here at about 4.30pm on the same day.
Romli said one of the boats did not have any registration plaque.
All the boat skippers and crew members aged between 20 and 47 were arrested for investigation under Immigration Act 1959/63 and Fishery Act 1985 for not possessing any personal document and fishing in Malaysian waters.