TAWAU: Three local men aged between 31 and 37, were arrested during raids under Operation TIRIS conducted by the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) in strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department.
The operation, carried out on June 16 and 17 at two separate locations, resulted in confiscated goods worth RM332,440.00, ESSCOM commander DCP Datuk Victor Sanjos said in a statement on Wednesday.
The first operation successfully detained three (3) individuals in possession of a large quantity of diesel fuel, stored in a modified four-wheel-drive vehicle with a specially fitted tank, alongside barrels of diesel near a petrol station along Jalan Apas, Tawau.
Authorities also seized equipment, including mobile phones, purchase receipts, and two additional four-wheel-drive vehicles believed to be used in the smuggling activities. The suspects have been handed over to KPDN’s Enforcement Division for investigation under the Control of Supplies Act 1961, he added.
The second operation, conducted near a jetty at Batu 3, Jalan Apas, detected a suspicious boat entering Malaysian waters from the Indonesian maritime border. Upon realizing they were being monitored, the boat’s skipper and passengers jumped into the sea, abandoning the vessel. Inspection revealed the boat was used for cross-border smuggling, and a local female passenger onboard failed to produce any customs declaration documents for the transported goods. Authorities confiscated the boat, its outboard engine, assorted food supplies, and a suspicious lorry parked near the jetty. The suspect will be investigated by the Royal Malaysian Customs Department under the Customs Act 1967, Victor said.
According to Victor, the primary goals of Operation TIRIS are to: curb smuggling of controlled, subsidized, and untaxed goods, prevent illegal entry of undocumented migrants (PATI), which threatens local communities, public security, and national economic stability, particularly in the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (ESSZone) and safeguard national revenue by clamping down on leakages caused by irresponsible parties.
ESSCOM remains committed to combating cross-border crimes in the ESS Zone, supporting national development and socio-economic stability in line with the Malaysia MADANI agenda’s principles of compassion, well-being, trust, and sustainability, he said. – James Leong
