KUCHING: The General Operations Force (GOF) have successfully seized 746,400 various cigarettes sticks and 15 cartons of beer valued at RM658,960 in two separate operations.
GOF Sarawak Brigade commander SAC Mancha Ata said the operations took place in Limbang last Thursday (Dec 17) and in Kuching last Friday (Dec 18).
The incident in Limbang happened around 9pm (on Thursday) when a GOF 12th Battalion patrol team carried out surveillance and security patrols along the riverbanks in Ujung Jalan area, Pandaruan.
“They came across a group of men who were unloading goods into a boat in a suspicious manner. The men noticed the presence of the security forces and immediately fled from the scene.
“Inspection led to the seizure of 15 cartons of beer, 6,800 sticks of various cigarettes and three motorcycles with an estimated total worth RM32,500,” he said.
The seizures were then handed over to Limbang police headquarters (IPD) for further actions under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967.
The next day (Friday) in Kuching around 8am, a team from GOF Sarawak Intelligence Unit raided a house in the city, that was believed to be used as a store for untaxed cigarettes.
Mancha said the raid was carried out immediately after the team followed a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) to the location.
“The team managed to find 3,908 cartons cigarettes (containing 739,600 sticks) inside the house and seized the goods along with the MPV suspected of using a fake registration number.
“Apart from that, a local man, who was the caretaker of the house, was also arrested to assist in the investigations,” he told adding that the estimated total seizures including taxes were worth RM626,460.
He noted that both the seizures and the arrest were handed over to Padawan IPD for further action and investigation under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967.
