Soldiers on patrol foil man’s attempt to smuggle car across border in Lundu
KUCHING: Personnel from the Malaysian Army’s First Infantry Division caught a 28-year-old man during ‘Op Benteng’ as he attempted to smuggle a car across the Indonesian border on Monday.
In a statement yesterday, the division said in the incident around 10.10pm, soldiers on patrol came across a suspicious vehicle at an oil palm plantation in the Kandaie post area, Lundu – around 50 metres from the Malaysia-Indonesia border.
“Checks made on the suspicious vehicle driven by a local found that the vehicle did not have any valid road tax and it is believed that the vehicle was going to be smuggled out and to be sold in Indonesia.
“The value of the seized vehicle is estimated at RM45,000. The suspect and the seized vehicle were later handed over to Lundu District police headquarters for further investigation,” said a spokesperson.
In a separate incident in the same area, some 300 metres from the Malaysia-Indonesia border, army personnel detained three foreigners who tried to enter the country illegally.
“From inspections made on the illegal immigrants, it was found that they had entered the state through an illegal route. No seizures were made and the illegal immigrants were then handed over to Tentera Negara Indonesia (TNI) at Pos Kumba Semunying.
“A police report was also made at the Lundu District police headquarters,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson added the Malaysian army remains committed to maintaining security and ensuring the country’s sovereignty is preserved, especially in ensuring that the border is not breached by illegal immigrants or that there is any form of cross-border crime that could contribute to the spread of Covid-19.