TAWAU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) here detained a local cargo boat loaded with rice and controlled goods without a permit on Tuesday 0.75 nautical miles south of Kuala Sungai Tawau.
MMEA Tawau Zone Director Kepten Maritim Ariffin Ghazali, stated that a MMEA patrol boat, conducting Ops Pluto Timur, Ops Sejahtera, and Ops Tiris, successfully tracked the movement of the cargo boat from Batu Tiga Tawau waters towards Pulau Sebatik.
Initial inspections revealed that the cargo boat was operated by a 20-year-old local skipper with questionable identification documents, along with a 25-year-old Indonesian male assistant holding a passport but no valid work permit for the vessel.
Further document checks showed that the skipper failed to present any permits for the controlled goods and lacked customs declaration documents for transporting the items to Pulau Sebatik.
Both individuals were detained along with the cargo boat and all its contents, which were escorted to the Tawau Maritime Zone Jetty for further inspection and investigation.
A search of the boat uncovered 700 sacks of rice (10 kg each), totalling 7 tons, and 30 boxes of packet cooking oil weighing approximately 510 kg.
The case is being investigated under the Control of Supplies Act 1961, Padi and Rice Control Act 1994 (Act 522), Customs Act 1967, Immigration Act 1959/63, and the Sabah Ports and Harbours Enactment (JPDS) 2002. All seized items, including the cargo boat and its engine, are estimated to be worth nearly RM30,000.
“Investigations will also focus on possible smuggling activities to neighbouring countries, following viral social media clips showing Malaysian-origin goods being seized by authorities abroad,” Ariffin explained.
MMEA remains committed to strengthening enforcement efforts to curb illegal activities in Malaysian maritime zones, particularly in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE). Collaboration with other agencies will continue to be enhanced to ensure compliance with national laws, he added.
Ariffin urged local folks to report any criminal activities in Tawau waters to the MMEA Tawau Operations Centre at 089-752116 or contact the 999 emergency line for immediate action. – James Leong
