The pump boats with the drums containing petrol.
KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) managed to thwart an attempt to smuggle fuel out of the country after seizing 44 drums containing petrol off of Sabah’s northern Kudat district.
An MMEA vessel was patrolling the seas when they received information about three pump boats off Tanjung Pegasan at about 5.30am on Saturday (Jan 20).
Kudat MMEA director Commander Maurice Grenville Abeyeratne said they rushed to the location and found the three boats floating but unmanned.
“It is believed the crew had abandoned the boats after sensing our presence,” he said in a statement on Sunday (Jan 21).
“We found 12 drums on the first boat, 24 on the second and another eight on the third, all containing petrol.
“We believe the fuel was about to be smuggled from Pitas waters to Mangsi Island in the Philippines,” he added.
Abeyeratne said the seized items, including the boats, were estimated to be worth around RM70,000. The items have been brought to the MMEA jetty in Kudat and handed over to the investigating officer.
The case is being probed under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and is the state’s Ports and Harbours Enactment 2022.
Thanking the public for the information that led to the seizure, he urged for more such assistance from the people, particularly the coastal community.
He said they could report criminal activities or other incidents at sea by calling the Kudat MMEA operations centre at 088-611858 or the Malaysian Emergency Response Services (MERS) 999 number.
