Fishy business: Smugglers caught hiding illicit cigarettes in seafood coolers

KOTA KINABALU: Two men who hid contraband cigarettes worth RM251,904 in small seafood coolers were arrested by policemen in Sabah's east coast Tawau district on Sunday (Aug 8).

Sabah General Operations Force (GOF) Brigade Commander Senior Asst Comm Mohd Abduh Ismail said they were caught during an operation at Jalan Merotai in Kalabakan under the Tawau district at 7am.

He said the suspects, aged 36 and 51 years old, were caught with 307,200 cigarettes packed in 46 plastic boxes hidden inside the coolers by a team from the 14th GOF battalion during an operation called "Op Kontraban".

He said they also seized a four-wheel-drive vehicle valued at about RM35,000 that was used by the suspects.

He said investigations were being conducted under the Customs Act 1967.