SANDAKAN: A boat carrying about seven tonnes of crude palm oil, suspected to be for domestic use, was detained off near Kampung Gas here early Wednesday (Jan 28).
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said the vessel was intercepted at about 12.55am around 0.8 nautical miles southeast of the village, during a routine patrol.
Sandakan maritime zone director Maritime Captain Muhamad Suhairy Hussain said that a 38-year-old local man and a 42-year-old foreign national manning the boat failed to produce documents related to the ownership and transportation of the crude palm oil during inspection.
“Checks found that the boat was carrying about seven tonnes of crude palm oil suspected to be for domestic use, but without a valid permit or authorisation from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board,” he said.
The case is being investigated under the Malaysian Palm Oil Board Act 1998 for failing to display a Domestic Movement Declaration, as well as offences under the Sabah Ports and Harbours Enactment 2002 and related regulations.
Muhamad Suhairy said the suspects, together with the boat and cargo estimated to be worth about RM75,000, were escorted to Sandakan for further investigation with the assistance of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.
