TAWAU: An attempt to smuggle 60 subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders to a neighbouring country was foiled by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) here on March 7.
Tawau MMEA director Kepten Maritim Ariffin Ghazali, stated that a MMEA patrol boat, which was conducting Ops Pagar Laut and Ops Tiris, received intelligence information regarding a suspicious boat movement in Tawau waters.
According to him, the patrol boat was directed to the location to intercept the vessel, which was detected leaving Batu 3 Jetty, Tawau, heading towards Sebatik Island around 9.00 pm.
“When the patrol boat attempted the interception, the boat’s skipper turned the vessel towards the shoreline and jumped overboard, abandoning both the boat and its cargo to flee.
“Inspection of the cargo boat revealed 60 LPG cylinders, believed to be intended for smuggling without any valid permit,” he said in a statement yesterday.
All seized items, including the cargo boat, engine, and the 60 LPG cylinders, are valued at RM53,800. They have been towed to the Tawau MMEA Jetty for further probe under the Control of Supplies Act 1961.
He added that smuggling activities are detected to increase approaching the festive season due to high demand from foreign markets. Syndicates employ the modus operandi of moving at night to avoid detection by enforcement authorities.
He emphasised that enforcement will be continuously enhanced to crack down on any illegal activities, especially in Tawau waters. – James Leong
The LPG cylinders confiscated by Tawau MMEA on March 7.
