MMEA foils cigarette smuggling bid off Lahad Datu

KOTA KINABALU: Maritime officials foiled a cigarette smuggling attempt in waters off Lahad Datu on Sunday (April 2) night.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Lahad Datu zone director Nik Mohd Rizam Nik Mohd Fauzi said in the 8.30pm raid, a patrol came across a suspicious vessel in the Timbadu River area.

“Our men approached it but the boat sped off and threw a black plastic bundle into the water before disappearing into the darkness,” he said in a statement on Monday (April 3).

He said the patrol found 600 packs of cigarettes valued at RM8,000 inside the bundle.

“We believe these items were smuggled in from a neighbouring country for the local market,” Nik Mohd Rizam said.

This case is being investigated under the Customs Act 1967, he added.

He urged local communities, especially those living in coastal areas, to be the authorities' eyes and ears and inform enforcement officials if they hear of any suspicious activities in the area.

The Lahad Datu Maritime complaint number is 089-885 727 or MERS 999.