Controlled goods, cosmetic products worth RM115k seized off Tawau

The controlled items and cosmetic products laden on the boat.

KOTA KINABALU: Enforcement authorities here have thwarted an attempt to smuggle out controlled goods as well as cosmetic items from Sabah’s east coast Tawau district.

A Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) patrol vessel found the items, worth some RM115, 000, in a boat that was heading to Sebatik Island off the district at about 3.40pm on Monday (Nov 7).

Tawau MMEA director Capt Shahrizan Raman said the boat was skippered by a 45-year-old local man who was assisted by an Indonesian man, aged 35.

He said the duo was transporting the controlled goods and cosmetics without the proper documentation.

“After a thorough inspection on the boat, we found 1,776kg of sugar, 867kg of cooking oil in packets, 375 litres of petrol and six liquefied petroleum (LPG) cylinders that were hidden under a heaps of grocery items,” he said on Wednesday (Nov 9).

“We also found scores of cosmetic products of various brands that we believe were intended to be smuggled to a neighbouring country. They failed to produce the necessary papers to transport all the items,” he added.

Shahrizan said the suspects as well as seized items have been brought to the MMEA Tawau jetty for investigations under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984.

“All seized items including the boat and its load are worth about RM115,000,” he said.

Towards this end, he said the Tawau MMEA has so far recorded 55 cases involving maritime offences including 10 cases under the Control of Supplies Act so far this year.

“We will intensify enforcement efforts to curb activities that violate our maritime laws particularly in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone),” he added.